Cochran council hears park project update; revised contract lowers expected costs

City Manager Richard Newbern presented a detailed update on the Cochran Community Park at the March 11 Cochran City Council meeting, outlining funding sources, contract revisions and schedule steps.

Newbern said the 5.28-acre park land was donated by Earl Arnold in December 2021 and that engineering in July 2022 confirmed the site was not wetlands. He reported total project funding of $1,447,000, comprised of $75,000 from Havenwood Daisy Senior developers, $217,000 from the city's federal ARPA account, and $1,155,000 from the Governor's Office. Newbern said a pre-construction conference is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18 at 10 a.m.

According to the presentation, ICB Construction Group of Macon was the only bidder at an initial $1.931 million; after working with Falcon Design the bid was reduced to $1,439,300 and the revised construction contract is $1,254,336.75, producing total project costs estimated at $1,388,074.53. Newbern said the project was redesigned to fit within budget constraints, removing pickleball courts and fitness stations from the plan.

Newbern also reported that the city will purchase a prefabricated restroom from CXT Incorporated at an estimated $133,737.91, down from an earlier estimate of about $257,000. Engineer James Jones is scheduled to appear at the April 3 work session to discuss pavilion and restroom options.

Why it matters: The revisions narrow the gap between available funding and construction costs and reflect design trade-offs that remove some recreation elements to stay within budget. Final contract documents and pre-construction steps will determine whether the project proceeds on the reported schedule.

Next steps: Pre-construction conference March 18; design details and pavilion/restroom options to be discussed at the April 3 work session.