State specifications prove pricey for state shooting complex south of Cody

CODY — It’s a standoff on the site plans for the state shooting complex slated for construction south of Cody.

With construction on the county road leading to the complex site expected to begin roughly in the next month, the SSC joint powers board is continuing work toward designing a final site plan. Extensive discussion occurred at the board’s July 10 meeting regarding specifications on the site’s event center and shooting infrastructure.

The award of the SSC project was accompanied by a number of requirements from the state. The board has been given specifications including the number of skeet and trap fields, event center size, and two sporting clay courses.

“As we get into complex design and budgetary constraints, we need to have a budget according to what we have allocated… We’re going to do the best job that we can, but we still have a budget and fiscal responsibility to take into consideration,” board member Jim Saubier said.

Board member Cindi Thomas discussed the costs of building an event center that matched infrastructure requirements outlined by the state. By her estimations, an 18,000 square foot welcome center would cost $7.2 million.

“That is a ton of money… We have a lot of amazing range to build, so I think we need to hone in on this building as to what we can do to get an event center that’s suitable for our needs, that also allows us to build our range components as well,” Thomas said.

During the initial planning phase, the SSC board has brought in multiple individuals from the shooting industry to consult on the project. 

From these site visits, the board has gleaned insight that the requirements outlined by the state are likely too expansive for the complex to have completed prior to opening.

“It was quite an education to listen to these guys… Those guys are looking at (the requirements outlined by the state) and saying, ‘You’re going to be at half capacity all the time,’” board member James Klessens said.

One possible solution the board discussed was to engage in a phased approach to construction. In doing so, it would be able to host shooting events of 300-500 participants and ultimately be allowed to continue construction to expand operations.

In terms of budget constraints, board chairman Glenn Ross clarified that although the state already approved $10 million in funding, the project will have more resources once fundraising occurs.

“Our vision is much larger than $10 million. It’s $20 million, or at least in that range,” Ross said. “We’ve had a plan since the beginning to raise industry funds, local donor funds, and statewide funds, and we’ve got a fundraising team that’s working on that.”