Patrick Giles

Building the Wyoming State Shooting Complex south of Cody is getting more expensive. 

Costs for the initially planned project have risen $2.2 million, which has led the joint powers board to agree to cost cutting measures, from a slightly smaller events center to a reduction in the planned ATV fleet to utilizing 10 tons less concrete, and therefore providing smaller parking areas, throughout the 2,000 acre complex. 

The board and specifically the design committee is working with Groathouse Construction on preparing bids for a guaranteed maximum price for the events center, estimated at costing just under $10 million. 

The committee has identified ways to shave as much as an estimated more than $900,000 by, among other items, reducing the event center’s main event area length 40 feet and holding off on a concrete patio. 

Design committee member Danny Michael said the event space will still be able to sit more than 500 people using round tables. He said 500 has been a goal to meet with the events center to ensure it can host major events. 

“This threshold still lets us hold large competitions, still attract large competitions as it's the state goal,” he said, noting there will be a few shooting lanes lost for indoor air gun events, but they’ll still have plenty, and enough range for American, if not international, archery events.

“We lose some more seating capacity, but we would still be at 500, at and above 500,” he said. “We want to try and attract larger shooting events that need that seating capacity, or large non-shooting events that need that capacity, 500 still quite a bit.”

CEO Patrick Giles also suggested, and the board agreed, to reduce the amount of crushed gravel to be received for road and parking lot base from 80,000 tons to 70,000 tons, a $238,000 savings. 

Scaling back the size of the parking lots after determining they didn’t need quite as many spaces as they had originally planned saves a further $228,000. 

At a previous meeting, board member and professional long range shooter Phil Velayo had said it is common at venues to have people parked along the side of the road leading to a venue as opposed to having enough true parking spaces for each competitor. 

The complex has also planned on a rental fleet of ATVs to help shooters zip around the 2,000 acre property with their guns and gear, but they’re reducing the amount of machines from 40 to 20 vehicles initially, which will save about $320,000, Giles reported. 

Beyond those adjustments, board members are re-examining the electrical needs of the complex. Board member James Klessens said at the October meeting that for a while now they have been planning for three phase power from Rocky Mountain Power, but with the reductions to the events center they are now examining whether they can use cheaper single phase power. 

The CEO has also identified other potential ways across the complex to save even more money if fundraising doesn't proceed as well as desired. 

All dispersed restrooms become vault toilets instead of having running water — saves $250,000

Eliminate pistol/rifle storage building and restroom — saves $500,000

Eliminate bunker trap and helice field — saves $300,000

Reduce sporting clays from three courses to two — saves $350,000

Eliminate shade shelters in action bays — saves $440,000

Further reduce size of ATV rental fleet — saves $160,000

“All of those accumulate to millions of dollars in savings,” Giles said. “Those are very drastic. I'm not recommending them at this time, but if for whatever reason other costs for infrastructure were to increase and fundraising went the other way, there are ways that we could still bring our expenses back into alignment with the budget.”

Board member Brian Mick, who has been to numerous skeet and trap shooting events, said while a lot of the suggestions could be helpful if needed, any reduction to trap and skeet bunkers could lead to a longer event and thus more staff hours. 

“If you think about moving around, my input is as follows: San Antonio has 47 trap bunks. Donovan, Nebraska, for their state high school shoot has 22. I don't want to go from 14 to 10. That's not a Wyoming State Shooting Complex world class … we don't want to look like a putt putt course.”