MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — It's one of the largest projects in Morristown — called Morristown Landing. Tony Pettit, from Bur Wil Construction Company, is the manager of the construction project Morristown Landing.
"I've been in the business 40 years," Pettit said.
The new recreation center will open in the next few weeks. The Mayor of Morristown, Gary Chesney, said he expects the $32 million project is going to draw in thousands of people from all over the country.
The mayor hopes it will also improve the quality of life for people who live there. He said Morristown Landing will be the largest recreation center for the community and will make the city a destination for athletes and visitors.
But this project had to overcome a few obstacles. Pettit said that crews used to get roof insulation and roof membranes within 10 to 12 weeks. This time, the order took eight months.
"What I'm seeing today is unprecedented, as far as contract extensions, supply chain availability of parts and pieces," he said. "I've never seen it before."
Pettit said crews have been building this project for the last couple of years. During that time, he said he's had to deal with rising prices and longer wait times for materials.
But on Tuesday, he said the project was in its final stages. It will have areas for basketball, volleyball, swimming, climbing and companies will be able to schedule meeting inside its conference rooms.
"We try to tie it all into recreation and leisure," said Mayor Chesney. "This is going to be an area that's enjoyed by folks who don't live inside the city limits, folks who live in Hamblen County, folks who live in surrounding counties — and we will welcome folks from other parts of the country."
He said the recreation center has already started booking events such as tournaments. Petit said he wants to deliver something magnificent.
"We want to maintain the quality no matter how big of a hurry or how big the challenge. We want to end up with a quality project that the builders and the construction manager can be proud of," he said.