Stepping it up – Civic Auditorium gets new flooring

MATTHEW LANE • AUG 6, 2016 AT 8:30 PM KINGSPORT — If you can get 40 years out of your floors, you’re probably doing pretty well, especially if millions of feet have walked, run and danced across them every day for decades on end. The Kingsport Civic Auditorium recently received an upgrade to its main auditorium — a new polyurethane athletic surface that city officials say should last for decades to come. “We are very excited to be replacing the current floor with new synthetic sports flooring,” said Parks & Recreation assistant manager Robin DiMona. “The new flooring will really improve the aesthetic look.” The Civic Auditorium is one of the most iconic buildings in the city. Opening to the public in 1940, the facility houses the administrative offices of the Parks and Recreation Department along with the athletics office. More than 200 events are held each year in the main 800-seat auditorium, from wedding receptions and reunions to concerts, dances and job fairs, sporting activities, wrestling events, book fairs and gun shows. “It was seamed, but very functional, and it’s held up very well,” DiMona said. Last month a two-man crew from Dynamic Sports of Texas came to the Civic Auditorium, placed a small pad over the old flooring and then poured polyurethane over it. DiMona said the old flooring was not pulled up. “We had the auditorium down for two weeks, and then we left it to cure for a week. All in all, it took three weeks,” DiMona said. “We had to do a little work with the thresholds, but it’s worked out rather nicely, and it makes the room look really large and a lot cleaner.” The cost of the new flooring was $63,000. Dynamic Sports will return to the Model City next week for additional maintenance training with Parks and Recreation maintenance staff to make sure everyone works hard to keep the new flooring nice and clean. “We’ll be doing some more painting, cleaning the curtains and a few more things, like buying some new chairs,” DiMona said. City Manager Jeff Fleming said the upgrade to the flooring was long overdue. “This is a prime example of keeping an aging facility fresh and current,” Fleming said. “It’s truly a community space in every sense.” For rental information, contact the Civic Auditorium at (423) 229-9457.