Englewood outlines $41.5 million "Renew and Recreate" parks bond, sets timeline and engagement plan

Gina Oberging, the Parks and Rec Bond project manager, told the Parks and Recreation Bond Committee that the city’s "Renew and Recreate" bond totals $41,500,000 in property-tax proceeds and that staff aim to spend 85% of the funds within three years. "This is a lot of money. $41,500,000 is a ton of money, and it's our Inglewood residence property tax money," Oberging said.

The bond package covers two facility projects and eight parks. Christina Underhill, Director of Parks, Recreation, Library and Golf, said the city approved several contracts May 19 that allowed the projects to move from planning into design and procurement. Committee members were told that design work began in May and June and that Cushing Park is scheduled to start renovation in August, with additional construction phases expected through early 2026. Underhill said the city’s goal is to have most construction underway in January 2026.

City finance staff presented a high-level accounting of appropriations and encumbrances. Christine Hartz, manager of finance, described the current status as early in the spending cycle: design contracts are encumbered and invoices will rise as construction begins. Using Cushing as an example, staff said a project budget of about $6.6 million had a construction contract encumbered and remaining funds for project completion.

Committee members and staff discussed the need to balance ambitious schedules with permitting, site studies and cost increases. Adrian Torres, Open Space Manager, highlighted that some parks will require feasibility studies before design can proceed; Bellevue Park’s farm area lies in a FEMA floodplain and is “grandfathered in” only so long as improvements are not made. That restriction has prompted a study to identify possible alternative farm locations within the park.

Committee members were told the city will hold a minimum of two public meetings for each project and use online surveys and neighborhood nights to solicit resident input. Oberging said staff will advertise events and project surveys via the Inglewood Engaged page and social channels. The committee’s next regular meeting was scheduled for July 24 at 2 p.m., and staff said they expect meeting frequency may drop from monthly to quarterly as projects move from planning to construction.

The discussion included operational notes on cost pressures and contractor availability: staff reported typical contractor interest of five to eight bidders per project but said structural and material costs have increased, prompting design adjustments to stay within budget.

Staff emphasized accountability and public transparency as guiding principles for the bond program, and committed to returning monthly financial summaries and project updates to the committee.