Activities can continue during construction
Structural repairs should begin next week to Polk County’s Stearns gymnasium in Columbus.
Polk County Manager Ryan Whitson told the Polk County Board of Commissioners Feb. 20 that 30 pillars will be replaced underneath the structure at a cost of $13,500.
Local contractor Myron Yoder has been hired to do the work.
Whitson said this time of year is the best to make structural repairs, as current activities will not be interrupted during construction. Whitson told commissioners that the contractor said as long as the bleachers are not full, activities can continue.
The current pillars under the building were intended to be temporary, with no estimates of how many years ago they were installed.
The county also intends to install new flooring in the gym once the structural repairs have been completed.
The structure and flooring are the last of improvements planned for the gym. Other recent repairs have been a new roof and gutters, new doors and windows and painting.