City to vote on Bayfront Park splash pad revision next week

If the Sarasota City Commission approves an amendment to the budget for Bayfront Park renovations next week, kids could be cooling off in a new splash pad there by next summer.

On the consent agenda for the commission’s Sept. 19 meeting is an amendment to the agreement between the city and general contractor Jon F. Swift Construction to set the guaranteed maximum cost at just less than $3.22 million.

That’s approximately $300,000 over the city’s prior authorization in July, but the revised budget includes fabric shade structures previously deleted from the plan during cost-cutting measures that took the budget down from the original winning bid of $4 million.

The 27-year-old water feature, which has been frequently closed for repairs in recent years, has become obsolete. A significant portion of the cost is in replacing water and drainage lines that can no longer be repaired. Once construction begins, it will take approximately eight months to complete.

During their July 5 meeting, Sarasota Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle told commissioners Jon F. Swift Construction of Sarasota submitted the winning bid, but since underwent numerous cuts, including the shade structures, shaving just more than $1 million off the price.

Of all the cuts, commissioners expressed the most concern about the shade, but because costs of materials continues to rapidly escalate, the plan needed to be approved so procurement of materials could begin.

“I think it's an important project that shouldn't continue to be delayed and I'm sorry we had to eliminate shade structure,” Commissioner Liz Alpert said in July. ”That would be very important, especially for parents who sit there.”

City Manager Marlon Brown said if he could find the money to include the shade, it would be added back to the plan and would return to the City Commission for approval. Project funding sources are $963,603 from the Parks and Recreation Penny Sales Tax Fund and $2.25 million in American Rescue Plan Act Funds.

The design of the park and splash pad is the result of public meetings held to engage and solicit feedback from residents as well as the Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection Advisory Board. Together, that determined the features most desired in the Bayfront Park renovation project.

Because materials for the project have a long lead time, they must be in hand before the start of construction. The GMP is based on eight months of construction activity and on an assumed $60,000 in sales tax savings by the city issuing direct purchase orders for materials.