The estimated $15 million project that may take 10 to 15 years to complete will change the former Americana Amusement Park on Ohio 4 into a multi-purpose community park, Monroe city leaders said.
At a recent meeting, council unanimously approved paying Brandstetter Carroll Inc. $60,000 for the additional expenses related to Phase 1 of the project and $81,000 to proceed with the design and bid documents for Phase 2.
Councilwoman Christina McElfresh said the cost of the park “just keeps coming” and she expressed “a level of concern” during a recent meeting.
McElfresh said part of the issue is how the cost of materials and labor have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Estimated costs in 2018 are no longer valid three years later, she said.
“Everything has gone up,” McElfresh said Tuesday. “The challenge is to stay on what was approved, but that’s almost impossible to do with the current market.”
She wants to be respectful of taxpayers’ dollars, she said.
“How high are we going to go?” she asked. “When is it way too much? I want a functional, safe and cost effective park.”
Mayor Jason Frentzel said after approving additional funds “meeting after meeting” he feels “sticker shock.”
Monroe Director of Development Kevin Chesar said everyone is “concerned” about the cost of the park but rising construction costs are the “unfortunate reality” due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The city hopes to open some sections of the park by Labor Day, McElfresh said. By that time, the playgrounds, shelters and walking trail should be open, she said.
Chesar said he’d like to get the engineer and prep work complete for Phase 2 by the fall so bids can be sought in January 2022. He said bids typically are more competitive and lower in the first month of the year.
Last year, council awarded a bid for $514,800 submitted by Majors Enterprises of Monroe for the first phase and two alternate bids for the Bicentennial Commons Park.
It was the second time that bids had been submitted for this project since council rejected all bids as they were over the engineer’s estimate for the project.
LeSourdsville Lake opened in 1922 as a family picnic and campground, then added rides, attractions and an arcade about 20 years later. In 1977, the name was changed to Americana Amusement Park.
When an electrical fire in 1990 caused more than $5 million in damages, the park fell into decline and was closed in 1999. Under new ownership, the park briefly opened in 2002, returning to the name LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park, but after failed attempts to turn a profit, it closed permanently.
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