Lawrenceburg council authorizes bid solicitation for Short Street open-air pavilion and rink

The Lawrenceburg City Council on Jan. 9 authorized Pruce Construction to solicit subcontractor bids and proceed toward a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) amendment for the Short Street Open Air Pavilion and skating rink project.

The vote followed a presentation from Pruce Construction on revised permit-level drawings, an updated cost estimate of about $3.67 million and a summary of site work that includes an unanticipated ground-improvement system. "We plan to go out to market, probably as early as Monday of next week, soliciting subcontract pricing," said Michael Pruce, project lead for Pruce Construction. He told the council the team has submitted drawings for permit to Dearborn County and has been coordinating with city staff.

The higher cost reflects several details not included in an earlier $2.9 million preliminary budget presented to the council in May, Pruce said. He identified a ground-improvement system required after geotechnical review and added grading and retaining-wall work to level the pavilion and rink area as major drivers of the increased estimate: "we were gonna have to do something to, kind of shore up the ground there," he said. The team also removed a previously budgeted trench drain after determining it was not necessary for the revised, level site.

Why this matters: the council must appropriate additional funds before construction can proceed. City staff said the city previously set aside $1.35 million that was not encumbered, and the FY 2025 budget includes $1.8 million toward the project. City staff indicated remaining funding would likely come from the city's rainy day fund and that an additional appropriation will be required. "I'll probably keep all the funds coming out of the rainy day," a city staff member said during the discussion.

Details presented and next steps Pruce walked the council through a permit-level packet showing the pavilion floor plan, elevations and a draft schedule. The building plan locates restroom buildings near what is expected to be a restaurant, a concession area with back- and front-of-house access, a skate rental area, a Zamboni room and a mechanical yard where a chiller will be sited and concealed behind a fence. Pruce noted the mechanical yard will remain available for storage after chiller use.

The contractor identified several budget line items of note: the ground-improvement system (a new line item after geotechnical study), ramp and aggregate costs, and some drainage work tied to grading and retaining walls. There is a $25,000 landscaping allowance and a separate site-furnishings allowance the team flagged for benches and planters. Pruce said his firm's objective is to come in at or under the current estimate and that, once the council authorized bidding, the firm would prepare a GMP amendment to the existing construction-manager agreement.

Permitting and schedule Pruce said the design team submitted permit drawings to Dearborn County and has been coordinating with the city's building staff. The contractor presented a near-term schedule that places mobilization in late February, contingent on the council approving the budget and the city executing the GMP amendment.

Operational and design notes Council members asked about specifics: electrical outlets in posts around the rink, maintenance expectations, concessions limitations (no grease trap; light cooking/portable equipment expected), overhead fans and AV conduit. Pruce said electrical access in posts is included, the materials specified (brick/stone facade, metal roof, concrete floors) are low-maintenance, and that AV and audio would be procured by the city outside Pruce’s contract while Pruce would provide conduit.

Vote and direction A council member moved to authorize Pruce Construction to begin the bidding process; another council member seconded. The council approved the motion by voice vote. No individual roll-call vote tally was recorded in the transcript.

What remains to be decided City staff and council members agreed an additional appropriation will be required because the earlier $1.35 million authorization was not encumbered; the FY2025 budget includes $1.8 million toward the project. The council and staff discussed using rainy-day funds to cover the remaining amount and noted the project cannot proceed to construction until the appropriation and GMP amendment are completed. Pruce said he expects subcontractor pricing to be solicited immediately after council approval and that the firm aims to lower the current estimate through competitive bids.

Ending note With the motion carried, the council cleared the way for the construction team to solicit subcontract bids and return with a formal GMP amendment. The project team and city staff will continue permit coordination with Dearborn County and finalize the funding appropriation before construction mobilization can begin.