MUSCLE SHOALS — The Muscle Shoals Board of Education approved an architecture firm to lead possible building and renovation projects to the school district’s athletics facilities.

The school board approved an agreement with McKee and Associates of Montgomery for the projects.

Muscle Shoals High School Principal Brian Lindsey and a facilities committee that was established to determine athletic facilities needs have worked with McKee and Associates since early in the school year when talks began about possible improvements to the athletic facilities.

Lindsey described the time frame of agreement with McKee and Associates as open-ended and said agreeing to work with the firm will allow the process to move forward.

The next step, Lindsey said, is to get “firm” estimates on the projects the committee has identified as the top priorities.

“We need a cost analysis of the immediate needs,” Lindsey said. “(The firm) has said they can meet any time frame we give them. We just want to get a more definite cost.”

Lindsey said a weight training facility is at the top of that list. That is the project that jump started the push for athletics improvements.

In August, Lindsey and Muscle Shoals Athletic Director Scott Basden approached the board about possibly purchasing a building to be utilized as the weight training facility for the school’s athletic programs. At that time, the board gave Lindsey the authority to move forward with negotiations on the building, but, ultimately, that plan did not come to fruition.

After that, the facilities committee decided to look at all of the district’s facilities and create a master plan Lindsey said. McKee and Associates was enlisted to guide that phase and have been used since that point.

“I have talked to a few people on the committee and they are very pleased with the work (McKee and Associates) is doing,” Muscle Shoals superintendent Jeff Wooten said.

Also on the list of possible projects are renovations to the high school football stadium. Lindsey said he hopes to have more information at the school board’s December meeting.

Jennifer Edwards can be reached at 256-740-5754 or jennifer.edwards@TimesDaily.com.