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Arvada council accepts $7.33 million ORLAP grant to develop Goldstrike Park, staff says $815,000 gap likely
Summary
Council approved an intergovernmental grant agreement with Colorado Parks and Wildlife for $7,328,827.44 to develop Goldstrike Park; staff said the city has aligned matching funds but expects an estimated construction funding gap of about $815,000 pending bids and will cover it from CIP holding accounts if necessary.
Parks and Urban Design Manager Darren Delay told the Arvada City Council on March 3 that the city has been awarded an Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLAP) grant of $7,328,827.44 to develop Goldstrike Park and requested approval of an intergovernmental grant agreement with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Delay described planned improvements including a nature playground, historical and ecological interpretation spaces, flood‑mitigation features and backwater storage to protect downstream homes and infrastructure.
Delay said the ORLAP grant is reimbursable at a 1:1 match and that the city has secured other reimbursable matches including a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) award for $750,000 and a two‑year federal CDBG grant of $234,868 earmarked for play‑equipment features. He told council the project budget already includes about $6.25 million in previously aligned park development fees, water‑tap fees and CIP park holding accounts, and that pre‑award design fees of roughly $72,600 qualify toward the match.
Delay said construction estimates currently range “around $12 to $13 million” and that, without final bids, staff cannot state the exact gap. Based on current accounting, he said the project shows an approximate $815,000 gap and the city has identified CIP holding accounts that could cover it when bids are known. “I’m not asking you for money today,” Delay said; “we have those funds aligned and available should we need them.”
Council members praised the design team and the partnership with the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes; several asked to tour the site. Council member Davis moved to approve the resolution authorizing the intergovernmental grant agreement; the motion passed 6–0 with Mayor Simpson excused.
What happens next: staff said they will solicit competitive sealed bids for construction in the spring; because the ORLAP and other matching grants are reimbursable, the city intends to schedule any necessary CIP transfers after bids are received and the final gap is known.
Authorities and funding: Delay identified the ORLAP award amount and the supporting matching grants (GOCO and CDBG) and noted that the ORLAP match rules and Davis‑Bacon rules affect eligible expenditures (for example, CDBG funds would only cover play equipment, not labor).
