Waco says Alice Martinez Rodriguez Park remains on budget and on schedule despite unexpected soil remediation
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Summary
City staff reported the $25.3 million Alice Martinez Rodriguez Park is on budget and remains targeted for completion by year-end; contractors identified Class 2 municipal waste that required removal and proposed credit and change orders that staff said will keep the project viable and on schedule.
Jonathan Cook, director of Parks and Recreation, and Sterling Hill, project manager with the Coming Group, updated the City Council on Feb. 17 on construction progress for the Alice Martinez Rodriguez Park, a 30-acre regional destination project with a $25,300,000 budget.
Cook framed the park as the city’s largest park investment and said it aims to be accessible to all ages and abilities and to honor the cultural heritage of South Waco neighborhoods. "It is our largest park investment that the City of Waco has made with the $25,300,000 budget," Cook said.
Sterling Hill described site progress—utilities, excavation, culverts and early foundations—and said the project is currently on budget and on schedule. He reported that teams are starting vertical construction in late spring and that long‑lead items such as the park bridge and the splash‑pad equipment have been procured to keep the timeline intact.
Hill noted an unexpected finding of Class 2 municipal waste on the site that prevents compaction for foundations and required removal to a landfill. To mitigate schedule and cost impacts, staff identified about 4,000 cubic yards of usable dirt available from the concurrent China Spring Park project for reuse at the site and negotiated a credit change order from the general contractor and an environmental haul‑off change order. Hill said the negotiated credit change order from Millis Development was "just over $325,000" and that staff believe the project will "come out to the good" after these adjustments.
Key amenities described include a multi‑section inclusive playground with sensory and cultural elements, an all‑wheels course for bikes and adaptive devices, pickleball and futsal courts, a plaza pavilion with 150‑person capacity, an illuminated interactive fountain and a detention wetland to filter runoff into Waco Creek. Staff emphasized coordination to preserve the Team Waco track program and plan to return in April with a final track and field scope.
Staff reiterated the target to complete construction by the end of the year and to have the track improvements in place to support next year’s season. No vote was taken during the work session; council members commended staff for addressing the unexpected environmental issue and keeping the project on track.
