Antioch board accepts parks board's plan for Centennial Park phase 1 and advances project to bidding

The Antioch Village Board on Feb. 11 accepted the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board's recommendation to advance phase 1 of the Centennial Park renovation to procurement and contract award, moving the project from design to bidding.

Katie Kotlowski, introduced as the parks director, told the board the phase will include a new playground, pavilion, tennis/pickleball courts, fitness stations, a pedestrian path, a game table and native plantings. She said the phase 1 budget is $1,200,000, funded by a $600,000 grant and a matching $600,000 village investment; the current cost opinion ranges from $1.135 million (no contingency) to $1.228 million (with full contingency).

Kotlowski said federal and state safety and accessibility standards drove the need to replace rather than repair the existing wooden playground. She cited the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission handbook and the U.S. Access Board's ADA play-area guidelines, adding that the Village must meet current playground and accessibility standards when installing or altering play areas.

Board members asked about public-safety measures and construction impacts. One trustee asked whether park cameras will be installed across parks; Kotlowski said camera infrastructure is included in park improvements and estimated additional camera-specific infrastructure for this park at $17,551, which staff will include in the bid package as appropriate. She said fields will remain available this summer while the north parking lot is used for staging and that staff will coordinate schedules to reduce disruption.

Trustees also raised how to honor the community's attachment to the old structure; Kotlowski said memorial bricks will be salvaged and repurposed where possible, but that the wooden structure likely cannot be reused because of arsenic in the materials.

Trustee Bluthard moved to accept the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board's report; Trustee Peterson seconded. By roll call the board voted 6-0 to accept the recommendation and authorize staff to proceed to the advertised bid process, with construction contract consideration scheduled for the March 25 board meeting.

Next steps outlined in the presentation include issuing the bid package (Feb. 25), a pre-bid meeting (March 4), bid opening (March 18), contract consideration by the board (March 25), tentative groundbreaking in early April and a grand opening planned for September. Kotlowski said the village added a project page and QR code to the Village of Antioch website for ongoing public information.

The board's acceptance does not itself award a construction contract; the board will review bids and vote on contract award in a future meeting.