Workshop Item: 3 -- Robert Therres, Public Services Manager
Title
LEXINGTON ATHLETIC COMPLEX UPDATE
Background
Staff will present an update on the design and cost estimates for Lexington Athletic Park (LAC). The project is ready for design with a bid opening likely to occur in February 2014. This 38.5 acre park is located on Lexington Avenue adjacent to the Woodland Village development and just south of the Great River Energy sub-station. Council last discussed this park in February.
The LAC is proposed to have two lighted baseball fields, two lighted multi-purpose fields, two non-lighted multi-purpose fields, two lighted tennis courts, a lighted pickle ball court, a basketball court, a playground and picnic shelter. Also included is a building that would include concessions and a multi-purpose room that would serve as a warming house; a meeting room; and an election polling place, plus restrooms, and storage space for equipment and machinery.
Attached is the revised site plan for the park. There are no major changes to the number and type of fields or other facilities in the park. The most significant change in the site plan is the addition of parking spaces in the northwest portion of the park, which would cause the basketball and tennis courts to shift northward. With no off-street parking near LAC, the additional parking is necessary to ensure that sufficient parking is provided on-site. Additionally, moving the tennis/pickle ball and basketball courts north would move them further away from future housing, thus reducing possible conflict.
Attached is an updated cost estimate for LAC. In February of 2013 the estimate was $3.8 million. In the process of updating the project with consultants and various vendors, the estimate has increased significantly. Reasons for the increase include the additional parking and rising prices in the current construction market. The new estimate exceeds the project's current budgeted amount.
There are several options for the Council to consider.
1. Revise the scope of the project - The Council could eliminate portions of this project to bring it back down to around the budgeted $3.8 million. In order to do this several major pieces of the park plan would need to be eliminated.
2. Bid the project with alternate options so portions could be eliminated if the bids come in too high. This way you get the bids for the whole project and then can decide what to include or not include. This usually results in higher bid prices.
3. Increase the amount of internal borrowing to fund the entire project with possible funding from the Capital Improvement Fund (CIF). If feasible, this would allow the project to be built as designed and would not disturb different sections of the park in the future when items that were originally left out are added. Staff recommendation is to pursue this option. Council approval to use CIF would be required under this plan.
Recommendation
Staff is seeking Council direction on the LAC Park design and options to finance the project.