Shawnee County approves design and CMAR contracts for Gage Park carousel; closure expected this summer

Shawnee County commissioners on Jan. 2 approved professional design services and a construction manager-at-risk for the long‑planned renovation of the Gage Park carousel.

Tim Lorentz, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, told the commission the board approved awarding bid 040-25 to HTK Architects and executing contract C2026020 for design services, and approved contract C2026021 with KBS Constructors Inc. as the CMAR for construction. “This is for the Carousel Project,” Lorentz said. “This addition would replace the Big Gate Shelter…we want to be able to have our summer camps there” and to expand year‑round access to the facility.

Lorentz said the county currently has roughly $2,500,000 in the Gage Park sales tax fund and that the project team will negotiate a guaranteed maximum price with KBS once designs are complete. He told commissioners the carousel will likely close around June 2026 and would not reopen until the planned spring 2027 timeframe. “Once construction begins on this project, [the] carousel will be down,” Lorentz said, adding the renovated facility is expected to operate with more hours and year‑round access.

Commissioners asked how the closure would affect public use and were told that staff will notify the public that the carousel may be closed for construction so that the finished project provides more access and a better product.

The board approved both contracts and related actions by unanimous vote, 3-0. The project will return to the commission with a guaranteed maximum price when design work is complete.

Funding and next steps: design costs will be negotiated and paid from the Gage Park sales tax fund; staff will return with the GMP and a construction timeline. The commission approved the design and CMAR contracts so the project can proceed to the next phase.