KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Kingsport city leaders awarded a bid for the renovation of the Buck Van Huss Dome at Dobyns-Bennett High School.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved a bid from Preston Construction during the board’s regular business meeting Tuesday night.
The base bid was just over $19 million, however, board members also approved an additional $840,000 for new lower bowl bleachers, $425,000 for dome entry plaza and ramps, and $390,000 for rear entrance parking.
That will be offset by nearly $265,000 in “value engineering items” that the architect worked with the construction company to identify, bringing the bid total to $20,405,085 plus a 4% contingency of $816,200.
The total cost of the project is expected to be just under $23.2 million.
“We anticipate the work to finish up in March of 2025, so it will impact this coming basketball season as well as the next,” Deputy City Manager Ryan McReynolds said. “But the nice thing is the Board of Education and BMA invested in the Tribe Athletic Center and have given a great place for the school to play these two seasons,” Deputy City Manager Ryan McReynolds told News Channel 11.
The facility was closed more than a year ago due to structural issues with the wooden structure supporting the dome’s roof. The renovation project will include installing steel beams to reinforce the wooden structure.
