The project to build a Cane Creek splash pad and playground set to go over budget as Cookeville City Council considers the purchase of designs and equipment.
City Manager James Mills told Council during a Work Session Monday the city had budgeted $2 million for the project. But the price tag already stands at some $1.8 million. The city still must bid out an adjacent parking lot.
“You know, the concern here is this is going to cost more than we budgeted,” Mills said. “We don’t know exactly what the parking and grading is going to cost until we bid it out. Mary Beth(Public Works Director) has given us a rough estimate and wooh, man it’s high but she needs to be conservative on her estimates.”
Mills said the council has several options including holding off on purchasing the playground and splash pad equipment until after the grading bid is complete. Council could also build just the splash pad now, and hold off on a playground. Mills said none of the options is perfect. Council will decide Thursday.
Cookeville Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said the parking lot is ready to be bid and bids could go out as soon as Friday. Mills said a parking lot is going to be needed to provide adequate parking for the park once the new additions are completed.
Mills asked if the council wanted to hold off on purchasing designs and equipment for the project until the grading has been bid out in May. Council Member Eric Walker said he felt it is best to go ahead and approve the designs and equipment for the splash pad.
“I think it’s important for us to go ahead and order these things now and not wait until later in the year or even months because we could get into winter-time construction by delaying,” Walker said. “And winter-time construction means it may not be ready in time for next year and so I would love to see it move forward.”
Mills said the council could move forward with the splash pad portion of the project and save the playground portion for a later date. However, Mills said that may not be a good idea.
“The problem is when you grade this you grade the whole site which would include the playground sight,” Mills said. “Who knows what’s gonna happen you know, you don’t want to go back in there and grade after you build all this other. You will have a mess and you are probably gonna have a mess anyway if you wait and delay construction of the other component of this so it’s much better to do this we believe to do it all at one time.”
Mills said the city could do the grading themselves but suggested it may be best to bid out the grading as the city’s Public Works Department is backed up on several projects.
