City outlines owner‑builder approach and $20M estimate for District Park Fieldhouse

City staff provided a project update for the final phase of the District Park Fieldhouse and outlined why the city is using an owner‑builder delivery model.

Deputy Community Services Administrator Angela Brown and City Engineer Todd Engle explained that staff will contract directly with many specialty trades rather than hire a single general contractor. They said the approach relies on piggyback cooperative contracts, the city’s annual contractor rosters and stronger internal coordination. The team described use of Procore for document control and a BIM (Building Information Modeling) tool to identify coordination conflicts early.

Engle said the facility footprint includes multi‑use courts (six basketball, 12 volleyball, and up to 18 pickleball configurations), extensive lighting and mechanical systems and an interior build‑out that will follow shell completion. He said the building shell should be complete by the end of April with interior work starting soon after; staff anticipates moving in in the fall. The team reported a total project cost of about $20 million and estimated roughly $4 million in savings (about a 20% cost‑avoidance) compared with typical delivery with a general contractor.

Staff also noted that they have directly contracted more than 76 vendors to date for this project and expect the total number of contractors to approach 120 across the entire scope. Councilors asked about independent specialty inspections; staff said statutory and specialty inspections will still be performed by certified engineers or third‑party professionals as required during commissioning.

What happens next: Staff will continue direct contracting and coordination, update council on milestones and proceed through required inspections and commissioning steps before final occupancy later this year.