Bids out for work to rehab 3 city parks in Gary
‘We are looking to get it started immediately’
Contractors had their first chance last week to take a look at just what needs to be done to the pavilions at three Gary parks — Tolleston, Roosevelt and Glen Ryan — to get them up and running.
The walk-through was part of the bidding process to rehab the facilities. Bids for the work are currently being sought by Gary’s Department of Community Development, according to Deputy Mayor Trent McCain.
McCain said the city was able to identify funding from the Community Development Block Grant program to use to rehabbing the facilities. McCain declined to comment on how much money has been set aside for the work until the bids from the contractors are returned Oct. 13.
“These particular parks were identified as the ones needing the most attention,” McCain said.
Repairs include things like roof work at Tolleston, heating and air-conditioning repair and other repairs inside the three pavilions.
Bids will be returned to the Board of Works and then reviewed by the Park Board and community development before a successful bidder is chosen.
“We are looking to get it started immediately after the notice to proceed,” McCain said.
With the exception of the roof work, much work is inside so he does not anticipate weather to hold up the projects.
“It is not lost on us that all of the parks throughout the city need some attention,” McCain said.
Each common council member in a letter from the administration was asked to identify what would be considered a “jewel park” within their district on which the city can focus its investment.
Marquette Park will always be a crown jewel for the city because there is only one Lake Michigan,
McCain said.
Other parks in the city also need attention and the administration wants to focus on creating at least one park in each district that is up and running and usable for the public. The administration has not received a response from council members to its request, he said.
McCain said deferred maintenance has allowed the parks to deteriorate. The administration is working to change that and protect the investments that have already been made in the city, such as the swimming pools, he said.
Using both American Rescue Plan Act funds and, if approved
by the federal government, infrastructure dollars, those moneys could be used to get properties where they need to be and move forward with a maintenance plan to keep them function.
“We don’t want to squander that investment,” McCain said.
Ivan Gregory, construction manager with the department of community development, said five firms showed up to the pre-bid meeting for the work. A total of seven firms picked up bid packages.
“The pavilions haven’t had any work done in 20 or 30 years,” Gregory said.
Work at the Glen Ryan pavilion includes replacing all the ceiling tile that was damaged by water, replacing the old and damaged flooring, updating the men’s and women’s restrooms, interior and exterior painting and installing new LED lighting.
The Tolleston pavilion will get a new roof, new steel doors, new glass block windows and stucco. Inside, the water-damaged floor will be replaced, bathrooms will be redone, lighting will be converted to LED, and the interior and exterior will be painted.
Roosevelt’s pavilion will get a new heating and air-conditioning system, soffit and fascia work, exterior concrete work around the front and sides of the building. The building will be painted inside and out, and lighting will be converted to LED. Work will also include draining the wading pool at the park, fixing the drain so the pool no longer holds standing water and installing a secure fence around the pool.
“We didn’t want to fill it in or tear it out,” Gregory said. “We want to make sure it is not a safety issue.”
Once work is complete, the buildings can be reopened to the community and used, he said.
“We need something to motivate people who live around [the] area,” Gregory said. “We need to give residents somewhere to go.
“Sometimes you have to get back where we were to move forward.”