Standing in an open field next to the Varnell Gym, shovel in hand, City Council member Sandy Pangle took a moment to reflect on serving with council member Clyde Williams, who passed away last year.
“He would have loved to have seen this,” Pangle said.
Pangle, along with fellow council members, Mayor Tom Dickson, architect Andy Carlson and members of Williams’ family took part in a groundbreaking Tuesday for the Clyde Williams Memorial Pavilion at the area between Varnell Elementary School and the city gym. The pavilion will be just under 5,000 square feet and will allow the residents of Varnell to have a “nice gathering place of their own,” said Pangle.
Approved in December by members of the council and Dickson, the pavilion will include a picnic table area that will be able to accommodate between 75 and 100, a stage for concerts and live entertainment, and men’s and women’s public restrooms.
City Administrator Mike Brown said the pavilion will not only bring new life to the public space, which also features a walking track, playground and exercise equipment, but also honor Williams, who he described as a close friend to many Varnell employees and residents.
“Clyde was a people person and a very down to earth kind of guy,” Brown said. “And he was very positive. He always had his ear open in case he could do something to help the city, the employees and the public.”
Pangle said he, Williams, Dickson and council member Bob Roche visited the open fields that formerly served as community baseball and softball fields with a plan to further develop the area before Williams’ passing.
Pangle said the money for the pavilion had been allocated, with Carlson & Carlson Architects of Dalton the lead architects on the project.
Brown said the city received four bids in July, with Momon Construction Inc. of Calhoun winning with the lowest bid of $870,000.
Brown said city officials originally estimated the cost of the project at around $300,000 to $400,000.
“With the cost of the materials and the economy just the way it is, it was more than we were expecting,” he said. “We were thinking $400,000 but just like with anything these days, things have doubled.”
Brown said the city will use federal American Rescue Plan Act money, which it received because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax dollars to build the pavilion.
He said the plan is to have the pavilion completed and open to the public by “late spring, hopefully,” as part of an initial phase of new amenities for the area.
“It will be dependent on how much funds we have and what we can agree to on getting these other amenities,” he said. “But we are looking to have a dog park and some smaller shelters added in the future. It’s a big area.”
Pangle said there have been talks about other expansions, such as more walking tracks, an outdoor classroom or pickleball courts.
“We’re kicking some really good ideas around,” Pangle said.