The Fiocchi Shooting Sports Complex will be closed to the public Jan. 13-Feb. 10 for substantial renovations to the facility’s shooting stations.

Contractors with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will construct a variety of safety improvements to the firing ranges during the closure, according to AGFC Facility Manager Bill Haynes.

The safety baffle atop the shooting berm at the pistol range will be removed and replaced to offer better containment of errant shots. The ground “box baffling” also will be removed from the pistol range. The rifle range will see repairs and improvements to the “no blue sky” baffles near the shooting stations, and 60-foot ballistic coverings will be added to the sides of the instructor-led programs range.

The improvements won’t stop with the outdoor facilities. Haynes says the closure will enable staff to do some deep cleaning at the range house as well as make some small improvements.

"This project isn't flashy but it is vital to the safety systems of our facility," Haynes said.

Jose Jimenez, chief of the AGFC’s Recreational Shooting Division, says that possible weather delays and unexpected issues are factored into the projected construction time and closure window.

“We will be closing on Jan. 13, but if the weather is favorable, the construction window doesn’t last as long as our original estimate,” Jimenez said. “We’ll reopen the range as soon as the construction is complete and the safety upgrades are in place.”

Updates on the project will be available on the complex’s web page at www.agfc.com/ranges.