Manvel Parks Board recommends design, $162,000 not-to-exceed for Heritage Park playground grant application

The Manvel Parks Board on Oct. 16 voted to recommend that the City Council approve the design, a not-to-exceed equipment amount of $162,000, and the submission of a 2025 GameTime Community Champions grant application for playground equipment at Heritage Park.

The recommendation follows a presentation by Tim Duckworth of Cunningham Recreation, representing GameTime Playgrounds, who reviewed the proposed layout, color palette and a two-part pricing structure that separates equipment purchase from later installation. Duckworth told the board the equipment-only quote is $161,081.54 and the separate installation quote is $86,466.95; together those two items total $247,548.49. He said a poured-in-place concrete curbing and drainage add-on from the vendor would add about $43,465, bringing the turnkey total to approximately $291,013.49. Duckworth said GameTime is offering a manufacturer matching amount listed on the quote as a rebate or discount of $95,343.

Board members asked detailed questions about surfacing, accessibility, warranties, drainage and shade. Duckworth said poured-in-place rubber surfacing is ADA-compliant on installation, while engineered wood fiber typically reaches ADA compliance after two to three months of compaction. He provided ballpark surfacing costs: engineered wood fiber about $8–$9 per square foot up front, poured-in-place rubber about $30–$36 per square foot. He also said the playground footprint is roughly 4,900 square feet and includes four 16-foot shade structures.

Duckworth described materials and maintenance: uprights are powder-coated, hardware is stainless, plastics carry a 10-year warranty and some metal and structural components have a limited lifetime warranty; individual components are replaceable rather than requiring full-unit replacement. He also explained drainage and geotextile sublayers for engineered wood fiber and noted that a signed purchase order for the equipment would be needed by Nov. 15 to receive the manufacturer rebate/discount referenced in the quote.

After discussion, a board member moved to recommend council approval of the design, the not-to-exceed amount and the grant application; another member seconded. The board voted in favor and the motion passed. The board’s recommendation will go to City Council for final approval and any required budget or purchase-order action.

The vendor presentation and board discussion made clear several implementation conditions: (1) the equipment-price discount is a manufacturer rebate/discount shown on the quote (not a separate grant payment to the city); (2) the equipment purchase must be completed by a vendor deadline to secure that discount; (3) the installation surfacing choice and any concrete curbing/drainage work can be determined later, and the installation quote may be updated when the city is ready for installation; and (4) staff will bring the board’s recommendation to council for the formal grant-application and purchasing approvals.

Votes at a glance: The Parks Board approved a motion recommending council approval of the design, a not-to-exceed equipment amount of $162,000, and submission of the 2025 GameTime Community Champions grant application for Heritage Park playground equipment; motion passed.