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Cape Coral Council OKs $647,720 change order, directs RFP for JC Park bistro
Summary
City Council voted unanimously Dec. 10 to authorize a $647,720.39 change order to complete structural/site work at JC Park and directed staff to issue an RFP seeking a concessionaire to offset the city's costs; council favored finishing a weather-tight gray shell rather than suspending work or completing a turnkey interior.
Cape Coral — The Cape Coral City Council on Dec. 10 authorized a $647,720.39 change order to complete the structural and site work on the JC Park bistro and directed staff to issue a request for proposals for a concessionaire operator.
City Manager presented three options for the partially built bistro after the original concessionaire withdrew: suspend bistro work (estimated immediate exposure discussed as $405,000), complete an enclosed "gray shell" so the park can open while leaving interior fit-out for a future operator, or have the city finish a turnkey interior at an estimated $1.4 million. The manager told council the original concessionaire had been expected to provide about $1,375,000 in capital; when that contribution did not materialize the city stepped in to keep the project moving.
The gray-shell option drew broad council support as a compromise that protects the city's investment, enables the park to open on schedule and preserves options to solicit a revenue-sharing concessionaire. Councilmember Kilering said the gray shell "relieves the resonance of that extra burden" and would allow the city to seek a partner to provide capital and revenue sharing. Councilmember Steinke urged completing the enclosure and roof to protect the existing structure, saying the roof "protects the investment that we have in it already." City Manager noted the gray shell would allow future concessionaires "to have some say in the types of furnishings" while preventing drastic exterior changes.
Council debated scope and timing for exterior finishes and whether the park could open if the interior remained a shell. The manager and the facility projects manager clarified that allowances in the original guaranteed maximum price (GMP) would cover some exterior finishes and that the picture shown to council represents the substantially intended exterior appearance.
After discussion, council authorized a change order in the amount of $647,720.39 to complete site preparation and the roof/gray-shell work and directed city administration to proceed with issuance of a solicited RFP for a concessionaire operator who could help recover construction costs through capital contribution or revenue sharing. The clerk recorded a roll-call vote of all ayes and the motion carried.
Next steps: staff will issue the RFP (manager said it could be released promptly), seek responses, and return to council with any proposed concessionaire agreements for council approval.
