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Wildwood officials, contractor and staff spar over Village Green schedule as electrical work and weather stall progress
Summary
City staff and Bombshell Construction described ongoing delays at Village Green tied to underground power work, design changes and weather; the committee asked for clearer schedules and regular updates and moved the discussion to the start of the meeting for more time.
City of Wildwood planning and parks officials and the contractor on the Village Green project spent the bulk of the April 21 committee meeting outlining why the park remains behind schedule and what steps could be taken to speed work.
The discussion matters because the city has public events planned for the new facility this summer and has already paid more than $1.2 million on the roughly $2.2 million project. Delays or incomplete work could affect whether the park is available for scheduled events and could increase costs.
Director of Planning and Parks (name not specified) told the committee that from the department’s perspective “there has been seldom times when there are more than 1 or 2 laborers or employees out at the site,” and that several promised milestones have not been met. The director said undergrounding utilities, errors or omissions on plan sheets, and weather had all contributed to slow progress.
Andy Dobbs, owner of Bombshell Construction, who is the general contractor on the job, described multiple site-level causes of delay and said some problems are outside his control. “The power was a huge complication on the job,” Dobbs said, and later added, “If Ameren gets you those drawings tomorrow, I’ll … make sure it happens.” Dobbs also outlined steps he has taken to keep work moving despite cold weather, wet conditions and shifting plans, and said his crew is increasing hours and manpower where possible.
City staff and several council members pressed for clearer, more frequent schedules. Committee members asked the contractor and staff to provide three-week look-ahead schedules showing the critical path and which tasks can proceed before the underground power work is complete. Director (name not specified) recommended that the contractor and staff “get together and put together a timeline based on what your goals are, but then it has to be dealt with in reality terms because weather will impact things.”
On utilities, staff said Ameren Missouri produced a draft design earlier than expected and is still refining it. City staff estimated an alternative approach using switchgear could save $40,000–$50,000 versus an earlier change order estimate of roughly $190,000; staff and contractor said they are awaiting Ameren’s final plan before committing to the work or a firm schedule.
Progress on parts of the site was described as mixed. Bombshell said the oval concrete and much of the west-side underground work are ready for the next phases; pavers in the oval are roughly two-thirds installed and expected to reach about 80% by the end of the week the contractor spoke. Several speakers urged the contractor to close in and sod sections as they become available to reduce site erosion and public safety risks, and to use isolation valves on irrigation to allow partial sod installation.
Committee members recommended practical steps: tighter, frequent scheduling updates (three-week look-aheads or a Gantt-style chart), a single point of contact for Ameren coordination, and better communication with the public about what areas of the park will be safe and usable as work continues. The committee amended the agenda to move the Village Green update to the start of the meeting so members could discuss it while the contractor was present.
The committee did not take a formal enforcement action or terminate the contract. Instead it asked staff and the contractor to provide updated schedules and to meet regularly to coordinate work around the utilities issue. The department said it will continue cleanup and fence removal where appropriate to make finished areas accessible and presentable for summer events.
The committee and staff agreed to reconvene on scheduling details and to track Ameren’s final design. If the utility plan is delivered quickly, Bom bshell said it could materially accelerate remaining work; if not, the city and contractor will maintain the plan to complete nonaffected sections and prepare a clearer timeline for the public.
