Parks Department revises Bass Reeves Legacy Loop scope to secure $25M federal grant

Parks staff told the commission they revised the Bass Reeves Legacy Loop scope after updated cost estimates made the original continuous route unaffordable under the current FHWA grant. Staff said the original route's revised estimate exceeded $40 million while the current grant award is roughly $25 million, prompting a pivot to a shorter, connected 'spine' alignment that staff say still expands the city's continuous trail network.

"The original route was gonna cost over $40,000,000... rather than put the city in that position knowing that we're probably gonna be $15,700,000 in the hole... we found a solution," Parks staff (S4) said. Staff described the revised spine as shorter than the original loop but creating a longer overall connected trail network when integrated with other planned segments; the revised alignment leverages an existing $4,000,000 allocation in the city's CIP to reach the approximately $29,000,000 total for the revised route.

Staff said the grant program is administered through FHWA (the Federal Highway Administration) and that local FHWA reviewers have been responsive, but final approval requires headquarters sign‑off. Staff reported submitting responses to the second or third round of federal comments in June and said the earliest likely construction start is late 2029 if milestones are met.

Commissioners and staff discussed coordination with public works and transit partners for crossings and trail connections and noted some elements (bridges, additional amenities) are intentionally excluded from the federal‑funded scope to avoid permitting delays. Staff asked the commission to note the change and to support taking the revised scope to the board for final action on grant acceptance and scope adjustments.