Recreation and Parks Committee recommends council accept $1.1 million guaranteed maximum price for Duke Park maintenance building

The Recreation and Parks Committee voted unanimously March 31 to recommend that City Council authorize the director of public service and safety to accept a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) from Broomball Construction Inc. of Arcana, Ohio, for construction of a maintenance building at Duke Park.

Committee members said the construction portion of the design-build contract would be authorized for $1,100,000 (the transcript shows the figure as "$1,100,000.0300000"). The committee requested emergency legislation so construction can proceed during the 2025 building season and the project can be substantially complete in 2025.

Why it matters: The project consolidates Parks Department equipment and functions into a single building at Duke Park and is billed as necessary to store equipment, provide office space, restrooms and a break room, and reduce outdoor exposure of apparatus. Committee members said prior design and finish issues on other park buildings informed their questions about this project and its design-build procurement.

Committee presentation and funding context A committee presenter said the project is being delivered under a design-build authorization consistent with the Ohio Revised Code process. The committee previously authorized $525,000 in 2024 for design work and to purchase long-lead steel. The presenter said the additional construction authorization would be funded from the Park and Recreation Capital Improvement Fund and that the proposed construction amount is about $100,000 higher than earlier budget expectations. The presenter noted the city is negotiating the sale of Bruckner Park and that $100,000 from that sale had been earmarked for this purpose but said the sale proceeds were not yet needed to close the funding gap.

Size, scope and technical details Committee discussion included approximate size and interior use: a staff member said the building is "around 9,000" square feet, larger than the existing arena storage, and will provide storage for equipment, office space for the Parks Department, a break room and restrooms. The presenter confirmed the building will have electricity and that electrical lines will be buried.

Council questions and design concerns Councilman Jeff Schilling asked several technical questions, including whether electricity would be provided and whether common maintenance-building features (he referenced past work at a clubhouse and a golf course maintenance barn) would function as expected. Schilling said past projects had "not met our expectations," citing that a clubhouse had costly finishes and operational problems.

A staff presenter responded that the new Duke Park building is a maintenance building with a simpler Morton barn–type structure, not a finished clubhouse, and that the design-build contract with Broomball includes design work intended to address earlier problems (including electrical routing and long-lead materials).

Committee action and next steps On the committee motion to "move forward with emergency," members voted to recommend the emergency ordinance and forward the GMP authorization to City Council; the committee recorded the decision as unanimous. The recommendation directs council to consider emergency legislation authorizing the director of public service and safety to accept the GMP and authorize the construction portion of the design-build contract.

Votes at a glance - Recommendation to council to authorize director of public service and safety to accept a guaranteed maximum price from Broomball Construction Inc. for the Duke Park maintenance building (construction portion): unanimous recommendation to move forward; committee outcome: approved/recommended to council.

What’s next The committee will forward the recommendation to City Council for formal authorization and possible emergency legislation. Committee presenters indicated they expect substantial completion in 2025, with potential minor punch-list work remaining.