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Decatur council approves $15.1 million Option B to complete Sportsplex; second restroom added as alternate
Summary
Council voted 4–0 to approve Resolution 25346 adopting Option B — a $15.1 million funding package (including an alternate bid item for a second restroom building) — to finish the Sportsplex. Council and staff emphasized the need to finish the project and recommended using professional construction management practices for future large projects.
The Decatur City Council voted on Dec. 1 to approve additional funding to complete the Sportsplex project, adopting Option B — a $15,100,000 funding option — and instructing staff to include an alternate bid for a second restroom building in the solicitation.
Council members and staff stressed that prior budgeting for similar large recreation projects had been optimistic and that engaging professional construction management early helps avoid cost overruns. One council member said similar projects in other jurisdictions commonly cost $40 million to $70 million and that Decatur had already spent about $15 million on the Sportsplex to date.
Project staff said the Option B numbers were developed over months with architects and consultants; they described Option B as a balance between functionality and cost and said it would deliver eight multipurpose turf fields and an upgraded baseball/softball complex. The council approved the motion to adopt Option B, including the alternate building for a second restroom, by a vote of 4 to 0.
Council members also discussed longer-term procurement changes: hiring on‑call construction-management professionals or retaining consultants to produce reliable cost estimates and reduce surprises on large capital projects. Staff said they are working to select a construction manager for small projects and recommend using a professional construction manager for larger work.
The action authorizes staff to include the alternate restroom as a separate bid item; the final decision whether to build the restroom will be made during bid evaluation if the project comes in under budget or contingencies permit.
Resolution 25346 passed 4–0. Staff said they will return with bid documents and next steps for procurement and implementation.
