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Maumelle council authorizes continuation of Gateway Park construction amid $160,000 soil shortfall
Summary
City staff told the council long-beyond-anticipated unstable soil at Gateway Park requires far more undercut than budgeted; council authorized contractors to continue while staff returns with a budget request expected to be about $160,000 to cover extra undercut and contingency.
Maumelle officials told the city council on June 2 that soil instability at Gateway Park is far worse than planned and will likely require a significant additional outlay to finish the project.
The city had created an allowance for up to 500 cubic yards of undercut and fill, the mayor said, but staff estimates now show about 4,500 cubic yards may be needed. "We created an allowance for up to 500 cubic yards...currently at best estimates they're estimating 4500 cubic yards of undercut," he said. The city has authorized up to 2,000 cubic yards under the project contingency but said the remaining difference would add roughly $160,000 to costs.
Staff outlined mitigation steps already taken, including replacing a drive with concrete to reduce required undercutting in that area and considering engineering fixes such as geosynthetics or chemical stabilization to limit how much soil must be removed. The mayor said he had authorized up to 2,000 cubic yards to prevent immediate work stoppage and asked the council for a record of support while staff prepares a formal budget resolution.
Council voted to allow the contractor to continue work and directed staff to return with a budget resolution expected to request about $160,000 in additional funds to cover soil undercut plus contingency. Council members emphasized avoiding demobilization of equipment and preserving the project's objectives rather than cutting key elements like the stage or signage.
The mayor said that with the additional $160,000 the project would still retain about $85,000 in contingency. Staff will present the formal budget resolution at a future meeting and notify contractors to proceed in the interim to prevent schedule impacts.
