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Union awards Town Square contract to local builder and approves advertising bonds up to $20 million
Summary
The City of Union approved awarding the Union Town Square park and city-building contract to Mark Spaulding Construction Company with all four add-on alternates and authorized advertising general obligation bonds with a 'not to exceed' principal of $20 million to fund the project.
The City of Union Commission approved award of the Union Town Square park and city-building construction contract to Mark Spaulding Construction Company and authorized staff to advertise a bond sale with an amended 'not to exceed' aggregate principal amount of $20,000,000 to finance the project.
Municipal Order 2025-39 authorized the contract award (including add-on alternates 1–4, with the commission limiting alternate 2 to two shelters) and was approved 5–0. In related actions, Municipal Order 2025-41 authorized advertising a competitive sale of general obligation public project and refunding bonds with a maximum aggregate principal amount amended to $20,000,000 to cover contingencies and alternates; that motion also passed unanimously.
City staff summarized the multi-year planning process for the project: the city purchased 22 acres at U.S. Highway 42 and Brillance Avenue in June 2022, completed public outreach and a park advisory committee in November 2023, and selected Summit Architects + Engineers in April 2024 to develop the combined park and city-building concept. Summit and MKSK reviewed bids; Summit staff said they verified references for the lowest bidders and recommended Mark Spaulding Construction Company.
Public Works Director Paul Kremer told commissioners Mark Spaulding is a local Boone County contractor with strong references and that the city would provide Kentucky Fish and Wildlife 48 hours to respond before tree removal on site. Architectural and landscape staff outlined four add-on alternates the commission approved as part of the award: completing the outer trail in asphalt; adding one to two open-air shelters around the oval (the commission approved two); a water-hoop feature in the splash pad; and crushed gravel for a future maintenance yard.
Attorney Donnie Warner and Bryan Skinner of RSA Advisors described the two-step legal and financing approach: a municipal order to begin advertising and a later ordinance to approve the sale and finalize amounts. Warner recommended amending the advertised authorization to $20,000,000 from the prior $19,000,000 figure to cover final contingencies and alternates; commissioners approved that amendment and were told a more detailed soft-cost estimate will be available before the ordinance's second reading.
The meeting record lists the contract approval and bond advertisement as separate municipal orders; the contract award was captured as Municipal Order 2025-39 and the bond-advertising step as Municipal Order 2025-41.
