By Mike Smith | El Rito Media Reporter
The old Otis Gym south of Carlsbad will remain standing for now.
Eddy County’s Board of County Commissioners canceled a bid to tear down the building, which has not had any use for several years.
Built in 1947, the building has been a source of pride for residents of Otis, which is between Carlsbad and Loving. In 2019, commissioners voted to “decommission” the gym. Earlier this year county leaders voted for demolishment and changed their minds back in April allowing more time for studies.
Commissioners turned away a nearly $200,000 bid from Coronado Wrecking and Salvage from Albuquerque to demolish the structure.
“I’m not for it. I’m an Otis resident and I feel we need a community center,” said Billy Grandi during Tuesday’s county commission meeting.
Grandi and former District 1 County Commissioner James Walterscheid spoke to commissioners during the meeting. Both men along with other Eddy County officials toured the old gym on June 14.
“It’s not in that bad of shape. The inside needs work. There are some things you can’t renovate,” Walterscheid said.
Cost figures tabulated by Eddy County have varied in the millions of dollars on whether to save the structure or build a new one.
Eddy County Public Works Director Jason Burns said his department made key points to lawmakers for most of this year on deciding if the gym needs to stay or be torn down for something else.
District 3 Commissioner Fred Beard asked if the current gym could be salvaged if asbestos was removed.
Burns said it could, but Eddy County would have to take precautions knowing that workers could have health problems associated with removal.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) exposure to asbestos is likely to increase lung disease and increase certain types of cancer.
“We would potentially be liable. We know it’s a problem and we need to fix it,” he said.
Burns said the current gym would need a new roof, new heating and air conditioning units and a new floor. The current floor is worn out and has holes in some places.
“We could do anything with time and money,” he said. “Construction costs are high.”
District 1 Commissioner Ernie Carlson said the gym has sentimental value for people like him. He represents the Otis area on the commission.
“The first basketball game I played was in that Otis gym. I’m not for abandoning it or tearing it down and walking away from it,” he said.
“There’s parts of it that can still be used,” Carlson said. Over the decades the gym has hosted numerous community events, sporting tournaments and indoor soccer.
If the current structure is torn down, District 2 Commissioner Jon Henry and District 5 Commissioner Sarah Cordova suggested that the property could have other uses, like a new community center.
Commission Chairperson Bo Bowen said the building has been vacant for nearly five years and was not sure if saving it would benefit a small segment of Eddy County’s population.
Carlson said growth in Carlsbad is moving south along U.S. Highway 285 and U.S. Highway 62/180 and a new community center could be a benefit for future residents.
“The growth is going south towards the (Cavern City Air Terminal) airport,” he said “That is my district and I’ve taken calls and I see people almost daily. They want to see something there.”
Commissioners tasked Burns to draw up possible future plans for property if the building is torn down. He said the county could have some idea during the opening months of 2025.