Park board approves Feder27s Alley playground design, tables bid documents

The Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board on April 15 approved the final design for the Feder27s Alley all-inclusive playground but held off on moving the construction bid documents to allow staff to finalize alternates and scheduling.

Staff said the design incorporates board suggestions and that the restroom will be included as a bid alternate to be put out on May 7. "The restroom's a very important element of this project," a staff member said, adding that the design is set up so the site can receive restroom infrastructure now and add the building in a later phase if the full budget is not available.

Several board members and staff described active fundraising efforts and noted the funding gap is closing. During public comment resident Scott Melon urged the board to at least install the plumbing and infrastructure in the first phase so a building could be added quickly later if needed. Staff responded that the current design includes that infrastructure.

The board then voted to approve the final design but tabled the bid documents to allow time for staff to update any board-requested changes and to include alternates and final budget adjustments. Staff said the schedule calls for the design to be inserted into the bid packet ahead of a May 7 bid date if the board approves the bid documents at a subsequent meeting.

What happens next: Parks staff will update the bid documents with any changes, confirm the alternates (including the ADA restroom), and return the item to the board before the May 7 bid date so the project can proceed to procurement.