Oaks’ Expansion ‘Going Smoothly’
Visalia - It's the halfway point for the right field renovations at Recreation Park, the home of the Visalia Oaks, and all indications are that the project is on time and on budget. The buildings that will house the team's administrative offices, a concession stand and the Hall of Fame Club, as well as provide additional leasable space, are starting to take shape.
“From what I've heard, everything is going smoothly,” said Tom Seidler, president and general manager of the Visalia Oaks, praising Seals/Biehle General Contractors which is handling the project. “They started the first of April and are on a timeline to be finished on the first of October.”
“The whole project seems to be running smoothly,” agreed Phyllis Coring, special projects manager for the City of Visalia. “Everything is going fine.”
According to Coring, the project is staying within its budget.
“We monitor the payments that are made to different firms that need to be paid and make sure that things are falling within budget,” Coring said.
She noted that the contract bid is a solid amount. This protects the city because it is up to the contractors to absorb any increases in the price of materials or other costs.
Additional costs on the project have included expenses caused by the need to play baseball during the renovations. Coring explained these expenses as things like temporary fencing or lights.
“Those types of things are within the budget because you have to assume a few things like that will be happening,” she said. “So we're well within the cost estimate that was slated for the project.”
Weekly construction meetings focus on the construction and deal with questions that come up in the field, Coring said. “Sometimes in the plans, it may not be clear what was intended.”
Seidler relies on the weekly construction meetings and other communication with the city for much of his information about how construction is going because “the city is running the project.” But he can go to the top of the stands at the ballpark and look down to see how things have physically progressed since the last time he looked.
“My favorite place is from up top because you get a birds-eye view,” he said. From that vantage point, he offered his comments about the project.
“It's kind of fun,” he said. “It's like getting your house redone. You have to hold your breath for awhile but it's all in the name of progress.”
There will be additional work to do once the buildings are up.
“There will still be some internal construction,” Seidler said. “We're going to work on the grandstand boxes, do some overdue maintenance of these boxes – and the Kids' Area is all our project.”
He said that current plans for the Kids' Area include a Wiffle Ball field, speed pitch and a picnic area. “And we'll put some shade out there,” he added.
Seidler is looking forward to the new administrative offices. The current Oaks staff all has their desks arranged in a horseshoe formation facing the center of a single office. “The hardest thing is whenever anyone comes in for any of us, all 12 of us are distracted,” he said.
Seidler plans to celebrate when the project is completed.
“Looking down the road, we plan to have a grand opening event in the fall, probably around Halloween,” he said.