Design team previews South Canton Park plans, estimates near $8 million

David Argo, a principal at TSW, presented a design update to the Canton City Council on March 6 for the project tentatively called South Canton Park.

Argo said the site, located off Marietta Highway across from IB Drive and Pinecrest Drive, is mostly wooded and contains an abandoned house and remnants of old pavement. TSW’s design development work has produced a plan that includes a restroom building, pavilion, amphitheater-style seating, upper and lower playgrounds, separated small- and large-dog parks, wooded walking trails with an elevated boardwalk, a parking area of about 55 spaces and a flex lawn area with food truck stalls. “We’re trying to save as many existing trees as we can,” Argo said.

City staff and TSW described site constraints and accessibility features. Argo said the design addresses steep topography with separate upper and lower playgrounds connected by an ADA-accessible winding trail; most main areas will be reachable by accessible paths though some wooded trails will follow natural grades. He said the elevated boardwalk is a steel-supported structure with thermally treated “koya” wood decking that the design team expects to stain, and that it will be protected by a standard 42-inch guardrail. “Every sidewalk…main paths to all the main areas and features are accessible,” Argo said.

TSW also described sustainability features being incorporated into the design: bioswales and cisterns to promote infiltration, solar shade canopies capable of charging devices, attempts to reuse rainwater for irrigation, and artificial-turf surfaces in the dog-park areas where vendors’ materials and maintenance choices will be evaluated during bidding.

On schedule and cost, Argo said the project entered the current construction-document phase in mid-2024. The team expects to finish pricing and submit a 100% construction document set for bidding in June with a tentative contract award in June and an 18-month construction timeline. He said his cost estimator placed the project near $7.9 million, up from the initial $7 million target after design development. “When we made this more realistic, we got a better idea of what exactly it would take,” he said.

Councilmembers asked about durability and maintenance of materials, the environmental footprint of artificial turf, boardwalk safety and whether the estimated budget includes land cost; Argo confirmed the $7.9 million estimate does not include land acquisition. He also said turf specifications will depend on the contractor selected and that crews expect minimal maintenance for high-quality artificial turf. Councilmember questions about the share of park acreage devoted to dog parks and the potential for future expansion were answered with an offer to supply square-footage breakdowns and line-item cost estimates in the forthcoming materials.

TSW offered to provide a video fly-through and photographs suitable for posting, and Argo said staff will receive both the plans and the itemized cost estimate together for review before council action on final budget approvals.