Final budget for West Homewood, Patriot park projects delayed
The price tag is still uncertain for the parks and recreation department's plans for a new pool at Patriot Park and field and facility upgrades at West Homewood Park.
Though Athletic Director Jakob Stephens said in June that pricing for the pool and first phase of the West Homewood project would be available at the end of that month, final estimates have been delayed. Stephens said the department hasn't received approval from Jefferson County officials yet on their pool design, and they were also delayed by the redesign of two ballfields due to terrain.
“We have to get the final pricing so we can kind of prioritize, if there’s not enough money in the budget, to cut things,” Stephens said, adding that a parks board meeting would have to be called if the plans must be trimmed to fit within the roughly $30 million the project is to receive from the city's $110 million bond issue.
Stephens said he is now hoping to see final budget numbers by early August. These delays will affect the timeline of getting work done, Stephens said, which worries him about having the pool ready in time for summer 2018.
But the parks department isn't waiting for those budget numbers before beginning the first phase of work. Demolition and initial work for Phase I, which is a set of four baseball/softball fields, some parking and a playground, has been bid out and the department will receive and choose from the bids at the end of the month. The scope of the work, according to a bid posting on the city website, includes "hazardous materials abatement, erosion control, building and site demolition, existing utilities removal and limited rough grading for proper sheet drainage."
The parks department also intends to execute contracts for utility work, the pool and the two buildings on the West Homewood Park property in mid-August.
Read more about the plans for all phases of construction here.
In addition to the pool, Patriot Park will also be receiving new playground equipment. Parks Superintendent Berkley Squires said he has received rough pricing estimates for the project, which could include a shade structure, new swings, a new playground structure and fencing. Stephens said the estimate, which includes new concrete, safety surfaces and site work, is around $100,000.
Squires expects to have schematics of the playground plan in about a week. At that time, he said park board member Chris Bailey will bring the schematics to West Homewood neighbors for feedback so they can come up with a more definite plan.
The Homewood Star will continue to follow the budget process for these projects.