Sunset Park design agreement and federal grant discussed; design phase to begin in August

Commissioners received a status update on Sunset Park funding and the project schedule, including an upcoming design agreement and ongoing coordination with state agencies.

Staff reported the city has secured $15 million earmarked toward the Sunset Park project — a $7.5 million grant plus a $7.5 million reallocation from an existing Go Bond project — leaving additional fundraising to reach an estimated $30 million full-build cost. Jose (project staff) told commissioners a design agreement with engineers will appear on the Aug. 27 meeting agenda to begin the design phase and that the team is considering a phased approach to prioritize stormwater infrastructure first.

Jose said design work could take about a year, and integrating the project into the citywide stormwater master plan and securing permits could extend the schedule to roughly 18 months or longer depending on permitting agencies. Staff noted there have been earlier complications with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on grant pass-through and that staff is working with DEP and other partners to finalize the grant award and contract.

Why it matters: Sunset Park is a large, multi-year infrastructure and recreation project that includes substantial stormwater work. The design schedule, permitting and grant agreement timing will determine when construction can begin and whether committed grants must be used by their deadlines.

Next steps: The commission will consider the engineering agreement on Aug. 27. Staff will return with a recommended phased design approach, an updated permitting schedule and any grant-required deadlines for fund use.