Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Sept. 2, 2025 – Construction updates about the upcoming Ridge Athletics Center were presented at Tuesday’s Advertising and Promotions Commission meeting.

Craig Rickert, executive director of the A&P Commission, said cement work is beginning on the site, and rebar is being installed in the center’s warm-up pool. Rebar installation is complete at the center’s competition pool, and plumbing is being installed under it, he said.

Rickert added that crews were preparing to pour cement in the competition pool.

“They’re going to pour the bottom, the deep end of the competition pool, later this week. They’re going to start that process, and pour the bottom, the shallow end of the competition pool, looking like next week,” he said.

He added that footings had been installed in the complex’s gym space, and that the concrete slab for the space was expected to be poured later this week.

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He also provided a look ahead to the next task on the center’s horizon, which is the installation of tilt-up walls. These are concrete walls poured horizontally onsite and are later lifted into place, forming a building’s exterior walls.

“When you really start to see stuff coming out of the ground, literally, are the tilt-up walls, the 14-inch tilt up walls, are a big item on the agenda,” Rickert said.

Those walls are expected to be poured in November, he said.

Crews are working six days a week at the site, Rickert said, after the project experienced construction delays due to heavy rains in May. He said this would allow crews to catch up on project milestones.

“We’re hitting some major milestones and it’s exciting to see, especially this week and next week, and we start seeing a lot of cement going in,” Rickert said.

The 200,000 square foot complex, to be located on Race Street, will feature a gym to house courts for sports such as basketball, volleyball, and pickleball.

It will also have a 50-meter pool with diving boards and a recreational warm-up/cool-down pool. The center’s second story will have viewing areas for the courts and pool, with 1,245 spectator seats dedicated to the 50-meter pool.

The complex is projected to cost $74.6 million. The goal is to complete the project in 18 months and open in late summer or early fall of 2026.

Watch the full meeting here.