City picks project construction manager

Springdale moves to push Luther George Park redesign from concept to reality

SPRINGDALE — The City Council in a parks committee meeting Tuesday night agreed to hire a construction manager to help make the concept of a redesigned Luther George Park come to fruition.

The contract with Milestone Construction Co. will go before the full council for a vote next Tuesday. Milestone officials will provide preconstruction services for $2,500 for Phase 1 and $10,000 for Phase 2, according to the contract.

Spackman Mossop Michaels Landscape Architects of New Orleans on Aug. 15 unveiled its conceptual design for a redeveloped park to city officials and interested residents.

The Downtown Springdale Association hired the firm

with a $642,638 Design Excellence Grant from the Walton Family Foundation. The grant was awarded to implement the city’s downtown revitalization plan and help pay for improvements to the park.

But funding is not in place for the physical construction of the park, which the city owns.

“Everyone knows private money is going to have to be raised,” Mayor Doug Sprouse said.

Jill Dabbs, executive director

of the association, anticipated $8.5 million will be needed for construction of the 15-acre plan, which includes playgrounds, events space and connections with the creek that runs through the park.

“The city’s goal is to get the park built as soon as possible,” Dabbs said. She expects construction to begin by next summer.

In the first phase of the contract, Milestone construction engineers will identify opportunities to steer the park’s architects and designers to materials or construction methods that could save money for the project, explained

Wyman Morgan, director of the finance and administration for the city.

Morgan explained, that through this preconstruction process, Milestone engineers will provide a more accurate projected price for construction.

“The landscape design was an estimate,” Morgan said. “We need it to be more accurate to tell potential donors. Milestone will come to us at a point and say, ‘We will build it for this amount of money.’”

During Phase 2, Milestone’s tasks would include lining up subcontractors. But the firm will not begin this work nor will it get paid until money is in place to begin construction, Morgan explained.

“They will go as far as they can go, until they know we can build it,” Sprouse said. “Then they will continue with Phase 2.”

“The construction funds have not all been identified,” Dabbs said. “But we are meeting with a lot of stakeholders and others interested in getting the park built.”

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Daniela Obispo, 5, spins her father Daniel as they play on the playground equipment Tuesday at Luther George Grove Street Park in Springdale. A City Council committee chose the construction manager for renovation of the park.