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Cookeville council authorizes up to $200,000 to resurface Heart of the City playground
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Summary
On April 16 the Cookeville City Council authorized the city manager to sign a contract, not to exceed $200,000, to install ForeverLawn turf over the playground’s aging rubber surfacing at Dogwood Park, with installation planned the week after Labor Day and a projected 4–6 week closure.
Cookeville City Council on April 16 authorized the city manager to enter a contract not to exceed $200,000 to replace the failing rubber surfacing at the Heart of the City playground in Dogwood Park.
City parks staff presented a plan to install ForeverLawn artificial turf over the existing poured-in-place rubber surface and cited recurring failures of patched areas that “can be pulled up by the children who are playing there.” Parks staff said the proposal, using the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract, covers materials, installation and a 5% contingency.
“I just wanted to ask you to allow the city manager to sign a contract with Recreational Concepts,” parks presenter Mister McDonald told the council. “Not only does this ForeverLawn keep us from having to remove the rubber surface, it makes the installation go faster and cheaper. Another added benefit is a cool infill, which will lower the surface temperature of the play area up to 10 degrees throughout the summer.”
Staff said the playground opened in 2015 and that recent repairs — replacement of parts of slides and a rope tower — have not solved surface deterioration. If approved, the city plans to close the playground the day after Labor Day and keep it closed for about four to six weeks to complete the installation.
The council voted 5-0 to authorize the contract; the motion was recorded as made by Councilman Baji and seconded by Vice Mayor Eldridge. The staff presentation named Recreational Concepts as the local installer and said the pricing stems from the Sourcewell statewide contract.
Next steps include finalizing the purchase order and scheduling the installer. Staff said the contract includes a 5% contingency and that the not-to-exceed figure covers material and installation costs. No public opposition to the project was recorded during the council’s meeting.
The council did not discuss alternate surfacing options at length during the meeting; staff emphasized durability and heat reduction as primary goals.
