New handgame structure expected for completion by first week in August
View of the handgame structure under construction at the Sho-Ban Festival grounds.
By LORI ANN EDMO
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes new handgame structure is expected to be completed by the first week of August just before the Shoshone-Bannock Festival.
Funding for the estimated $638,675 structure not including electrical work comes from Tribal Tax dollars said Wendy Farmer, Tribal Revenue director. The amount does include TERO fees.
She said the facility will have a high ceiling 14 foot to 16 foot and is a pre-engineered steel building. The building structure is 120 x 80 foot – substantially larger that the previous structure that was 60 foot x 100 foot. Farmer explained the design layout is similar to the previous one – half walls on the south and east sides, a full wall on the west side and open on the north side.
Harper Construction workers on top of the handgame structure.
The substantial completion date is August 8 if all materials are received in a timely manner (most have been delivered as expected so far.) They are hoping to do a walk through the first week of August. It will have lights and two fans to circulate air.
She said the decision for a larger structure was to accommodate the gamblers.
Harper Construction is the contractor. In May, they did excavating and put the footings in for the prefab steel building.
Construction workers install footings for the handgame structure.
The area beneath the structure will be leveled Farmer said and there may be sod placed or wood chips to deter rodents in the future.
