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Consultant presents $2.7 million beer-garden concept for Brentwood Park; committee urges caution
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Summary
A consultant presented a conceptual beer-garden plan for Brentwood Park with a $2.7 million program budget and floodplain constraints; aldermen expressed skepticism about upfront city funding and favored a phased or proof-of-concept approach.
A consultant to the city told the Brentwood Public Works Committee on Aug. 29 that a conceptual beer garden and event-lawn facility in Brentwood Park could be built but carries substantial costs and regulatory constraints.
"The total program budget, right now the construction cost is close to $1,800,000. The soft costs are at $500,000... The grand total is $2,700,000," said Craig Sewell of Navigating Solutions, who presented the conceptual layout, a 2,400-square-foot gray-box building, a stage, a 26-foot LED screen and a large seating area.
Sewell warned that the site is inside a regulatory floodplain and recommended the city wait for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMAR) expected by year-end to reduce required finished-elevation work and potentially lower costs. He also noted that if a paved seating area extended into the floodway, a "no-rise" permit would be required.
Committee members asked how the city might pay for the project and whether to pursue lease and proof-of-concept options rather than adding the full cost to the capital plan. One alderman suggested seeking a vendor who would install a containerized beer-garden as a temporary proof of concept and allow lease payments to fund a future permanent structure.
Several members also raised concerns about siting the facility adjacent to a creek and the overall accessibility of the proposed location compared with other park-adjacent commercial corridors; one member said the Frankie Martin model inspired the concept but cautioned Brentwood's site is less visible and has limited parking.
Staff outlined an approximate 16-month schedule if the city pursued a design and build: architect procurement beginning in September, permitting and bidding the following spring and potential completion by December 2025 if all phases proceeded on schedule. Members emphasized the need to prioritize the master plan and LOMAR outcome before committing capital funds.
The committee did not authorize capital spending at the meeting; members generally favored additional study, ranking the project within the capital improvement plan and exploring phased or vendor-led pilot options before committing city funds.
