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Sunbury staff ask council to award $3.575 million JR Smith Park contract, seek financing
Summary
City staff told the Parks & Rec commission they will ask City Council on Jan. 7 to award a $3,575,000 construction contract for JR Smith Park to 2 k General Company and to authorize financing; staff said the city will borrow roughly $2.5 million and use $1 million of city funds.
Sunbury Parks and Recreation commissioners were told on Jan. 7 that staff will ask City Council to award a $3,575,000 construction contract for JR Smith Park to 2 k General Company and to move quickly on bond financing so construction can begin.
An unidentified staff presenter summarized bid results included in the meeting packet and said "we had 3 contractors submit bids with a low bid for the base bid and the alternate playground of $3,575,000 by 2 k General Company, and they are out of Delaware, Ohio." The packet shows the low bid is roughly $20,000 below the engineers' combined estimate of about $3.556 million.
Why it matters: The award and rapid financing are intended to let the city meet project milestones and secure long‑lead playground equipment. Staff said they will ask council to act as an emergency matter so the city can finalize bond documents and schedule a pre-construction meeting.
Staff and commissioners discussed project financing and contingencies. Staff said the city plans to borrow about $2.5 million and has $1 million available from city funds; staff also said they will ask council to authorize a contract award "up to 3.7" million to allow contingency and additional contract items. An RFP for financing was expected to go out pending council action, with staff seeking competitive interest-rate bids over a 20-year term.
Schedule: The bid documents requested a July 17 final construction date, which staff acknowledged as aggressive. A brief virtual meeting with the low bidder indicated that, depending on the earliest feasible start date, substantial completion could slide into mid‑August; commissioners noted that late‑season openings could limit time for splash-pad operations.
Next steps: Parks staff will present an ordinance to City Council asking for award of the construction contract and authorization of financing. If council approves the emergency award, staff said they will proceed with contract documents, a pre‑construction meeting and ordering long‑lead playground items.
Actions and procedural notes: The Parks & Rec meeting itself did not award the contract; staff requested that council act that evening. The commission approved routine meeting minutes earlier in the session.
