A massive renovation at Bowman Gray Stadium took a step forward on Monday as the Finance Committee of the Winston-Salem City Council voted unanimously to recommend a joint venture between two companies to do the work.
The $9 million project will include regrading the football field and installing an irrigation system, resurfacing the race track and building two new restrooms and concession stands. The heating and air conditioning in the field house will be replaced and new flooring installed in the corridor leading to the Winston-Salem State University Athletics Department office suite.
Frank L. Blum Construction Co. and W.C. Construction, operating as a joint venture, will do the project for a guaranteed maximum price of $8,037,942.
The city council is expected to act on the contract on Monday.
Blum has a 65% stake in the joint venture, city officials said Monday, while W.C. Construction, a minority-owned business, has a 35% stake in the project.
The maximum price means that the city will not be required to pay more than that amount unless the city and the contractors agree to do so.
But if the price comes in under the bid amount, more options emerge: While the companies and the city could decide to split the savings, a savings would also give the city the option of doing additional work, said Assistant City Manager Ben Rowe.
Additional items could include canopies at the three entrances to the stadium to provide cover for the ticket booths, a new heating and air-conditioning system for the West Press Box, a new videoboard, parking bumpers for the east parking lot and removable signage with banner attachments.
Blum and W.C. Construction have also agreed to subcontract 16.5% of the project to minority-owned companies and 19% to women-owned companies.
North Ward Council Member D.D. Adams complained that the city is still not providing as much business as it should to companies that are owned by "Black and brown" residents. Nonetheless, Adams joined the three other members of the finance committee — Robert Clark, Jeff MacIntosh and James Taylor — to give the project a unanimous endorsement.
Bowman Gray Stadium is home to both Winston-Salem Speedway Inc. and the football program at WSSU. NASCAR-sanctioned auto racing takes place in the stadium from April until August, and WSSU plays home football games there in the fall.
In 2013, the city approved the sale of the stadium to WSSU, but delays in getting state approval led the university in 2018 to abandon attempts to acquire the stadium. Subsequently, the city developed plans for the $9 million renovation.
In September 2019, the city awarded a design contract to Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects, and in November 2019 the city picked Blum for pre-construction services.
In addition to the approximately $8 million in construction costs, the project includes $710,000 in design costs $237,400 in contingency and $129,000 in other project costs.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has put a crimp in a lot of business activities, it is actually making it easier for the city to proceed with renovations at a time the stadium is not being used.
Rowe said Blum is prepared to start mobilizing for construction as early as November with work on the restrooms and concession stands. Work on the football field would be going on in the spring, and the entire renovation could be finished by early 2022, in advance of the 2022 NASCAR racing season.
In other action, the city Finance Committee recommended that the council award a contract to Garanco., Inc. for the first phase of improvements at Long Creek Park, which the city bought in 2017 with the help of The Conservation Fund.
The property is the former Long Creek Golf Course off Bethania-Tobaccoville Road.
Garanco, a company based in Mount Airy, is doing the project at a cost of $1.5 million. The project is being paid for from the 2018 bonds approved by voters in a referendum.
The improvements planned for the first phase include a market shelter, a pool bathhouse with an expanded concrete pool deck, concrete walks, fencing, stairs and other improvements including a 91-space parking lot and repaving of the existing access drive.
Finance also recommended that Bar Construction Co. of Greensboro get a playground renovation contract for Brushy Fork and Winston Lake parks, at a cost of $700,000, and that Magnolia Construction LLC get the contract to renovate Russell Community Center at a cost of about $710,000.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1939

Midget auto racing at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1939. The men are Bud Rosenberg, Clarence Traxler, and Bill Walters.Â
Bowman Gray Stadium 1939

Midget auto racing at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1939.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1952

Stock car racing at Bowman Gray Stadium in July 1952
Bowman Gray Stadium 1954

Enlarging Bowman Gray Stadium, 1954.Â
Bowman Gray Stadium 1955

Stock car race at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1955. The 97 car was driven by Clint Bodford, who is standing on top of the car.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1955

The 97 car driven by Clint Bodford can't quite make this turn during a stock car race at Bowman Gray Stadium in 1955. Courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection, Winston-Salem, NC.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1957

Dick Shepperd, Wanda Mash, and Johnny Dodson at a stock car race at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1957.Â
Bowman Gray Stadium 1957

Stock car race at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1957.Â
Bowman Gray Stadium 1957

Stock car race at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1957.Â
Bowman Gray Stadium 1957

Stock car race at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1957.Â
Bowman Gray Stadium 1966

Perk Brown's No. 45 car smashes into the stalled car of Ken Rush in April 1966 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1967

Matt Long (left) of Long Engineering Co., Charlie Church (center) Bowman Gray Stadium Commission chairman, and Guy Rudisill, a Long engineer, try out the stadium's new sound system April 25, 1967.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1969

Perk Brown (0) was on the pole for the 1969 Salem 200 at Bowman Gray.Â
Bowman Gray Stadium 1969

Stock car racing at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem in August 1969.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1981

Mt. Airy's Gene Kirby (left) and driver Tony Rigney work on car prior to qualifying for Winston 200 at Bowman Gray Stadium in this photo dated May 1, 1981.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1982

Winston-Salem flagman Marion Johnson waves the checkered flag in this July 1982 photo.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1983

Crowd at ladies night at Bowman Gray in this July 1983 photo.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1984

Auto racing at Bowman Gray in May 1984
Bowman Gray Stadium 1991

No. 69 Junior Miller practices for the Winston 200 at Bowman Gray on May 3, 1991.
Bowman Gray Stadium 1992

Junior Miller and Gary Myers at Bowman Gray in April 1992
Bowman Gray Stadium 2000

David Lowery (No. 06) of Walkertown crashes into William Stinson (No. 16) of Thomasville just one lap into the 50-lap Tarheel Tobacco Stadium Stock series race on June 10, 2000, at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2002

Willie Newman (No. 08) won the Sportsman division race at Bowman Gray Stadium in April 2002.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2003

Former coach Kermit Blount led Winston-Salem State through the tunnel to the field at Bowman Gray Stadium in August, 2003.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2003

Fans fill the stands at Bowman Gray Stadium for stock car racing on July 26, 2003 in Winston-Salem.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2006

 Junior Miller stands on top of his car after winning at Bowman Gray in June 2006 and breaking the previous record for wins at the stadium.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2007

Evelyn Holder holds her 9-month-old granddaughter, Taylor Grace Metcalf, as racing gets underway at Bowman Gray Stadium in July 2007. While Taylor Grace has ear protection, her brother Tyler, 6, uses his hands to muffle the sound of the cars as he sits next to his grandfather, Frank Holder.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2008

The new scoreboard for Winston-Salem State University at Bowman Gray Stadium was unveiled in August, 2008.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2009

Bowman Gray Stadium at dusk during a game between Winston-Salem State and Chowan Saturday, Sept. 18, 2009.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2009

Famed NASCAR driver Tony Stewart works on his friend's, Bobby Hutchens ( No. 14), car after a wreck midway of the Tucson 200 Modified series race as part of the 2009 season-opening day at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem in April 2009.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2012

The Winston-Salem State University Red Sea of Sound Drum Majors perform during halftime on Saturday, October 20, 2012, at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2012

Winston-Salem State University student, alumni and fans cheer for the 2012 homecoming court during halftime on Saturday, October 20, 2012, at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2012

The Winston-Salem State University Rams celebrate their victory over the West Texas A&M University Buffaloes on Saturday, December 8, 2012, at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Old Field House

The original field house at Bowman Gray stadium was built in 1938. The first football game at the stadium was played that year between Duke and Wake Forest.
WSSU Field House now

The new field house at Bowman Gray Staduium opened on Nov. 2, 2007, at a cost of $5.1 million.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2012

Winston-Salem State University fans cheer on their team during the NCAA Division II playoff semi-finals on Saturday, December 8, 2012, at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2012

Winston-Salem State University Rams take the field during a football game at Bowman Gray Stadium on Oct. 13, 2012.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2012

Winston-Salem State takes the field just before kickoff of a game against Virginia Union Saturday on Sept. 22, 2012.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2012

Winston-Salem State's Malcolm Rowe blocks the field goal attempt of Shippenburg's Drew Newcomer in a football game between WSSU and Shippensburg at Bowman Gray Stadium on Nov. 24, 2012.
Bowman Gray Stadium 2013

The university wants to buy the stadium and the surrounding land from the city of Winston-Salem so that it can have room for expansion, although it would continue to play its football games at the stadium and auto racing would still be held.
336-727-7369Â