Construction contract for Sandra Moon Phase 2 approved
Published on February 10, 2022
The transformation of the former Grissom High School into the Sandra Moon Community Complex took another step forward Thursday with the approval of a construction contract for the project’s second phase.
The City Council voted unanimously to allow Mayor Tommy Battle to enter into a $4.37 million construction services contract with Consolidated Construction Company.
The scope of work includes an interior renovation to the existing 110,000-square-foot community center. It will also feature new fire suppression and alarm systems, building code upgrades and ADA compliance modifications. Additionally, the City will renovate existing offices and rehearsal space for Arts Huntsville.
The contract states work must be complete no later than 300 days after the notice to proceed is issued.
District 3 City Council Member Jennie Robinson said the Sandra Moon Community Complex will bring life to the surrounding neighborhoods in the same way the Johnson Legacy Center enlivened the old Johnson High School site.
“When Grissom High School on Bailey Cove Road closed and the new school opened on the west side of Memorial Parkway, some people said we were taking away the heart of the neighborhood,” she said. “The Sandra Moon Community Complex will bring heart and soul to the Bailey Cove area again as it provides a much-needed home for performing arts groups. These groups will be able to collaborate in a shared space and then perform together in the renovated auditorium. It will be a gift to the whole community.”
Though a work in progress, the complex is also home to the new state-of-the-art South Huntsville Public Library, which opened in September 2021 at the north end. The school’s old gymnasium hosts Huntsville Parks & Recreation’s Youth Basketball League, as well as 12 pickle ball courts that are popular with the community.
When completed, the complex will provide a wide variety of activities, including theater, musical performance, athletics and meeting space.
Click here to learn more about the project master plan.