The Carroll City Council voted during their meeting Monday to move forward with most, but not all, of the proposed renovations and improvements to the Carroll Recreation Center. Officials were forced to head back to the drawing board earlier this year on the project after the bids to replace HVAC equipment, revamp locker rooms, install a raised walking track in the gymnasium, and more came in well over the initial estimate. The project was scaled back and rebid, with only one contractor, Badding Construction, participating in the second round. Parks and Recreation Director Chad Tiemeyer outlines the scope of the base bid along with the three alternates.
The base bid came in at $12,500 under the architect’s $3.4 million estimate, but all three alternates exceeded RDG Planning & Design’s estimates. Badding’s proposal for the raised walking track in the gym was $600,000 over estimate at $2.8 million, ADA compliance on the mezzanine was $48,000 off the mark at $72,600, and the west fitness room remodel was off by $33,500 at $308,500. Council members essentially agreed the base bid and first alternate were necessary, but Alternates 2 and 3 were up for debate. Ward 4 Councilwoman Carolyn Siemann argued in favor of moving forward with the entire project.
At-Large Councilman LaVern Dirkx and City Manager Mike Pogge-Weaver suggested the council vote on each aspect of the project separately and combine the results into a single approval resolution. A motion in favor of moving forward with the base bid and the raised walking track passed on a 5-1 vote, Ward 1 Councilman Tom Bordenaro being the sole nay vote. The ADA-compliance work on the mezzanine passed on a single-vote margin, 4-2, with At-Large Councilwoman JJ Schreck and Bordenaro voting against. A third motion to include the west fitness room remodel failed on a 3-4 vote, with Mayor Mark Beardmore breaking the tie. The city council approved the final resolution to move forward with the base bid and Alternates 1 and 2 using American Rescue Plan Act funds. Pogge-Weaver says city staff will act quickly to lock in an interest rate as soon as possible to avoid any future rate hikes.
Some estimates show the project’s interest rates may get over four percent if too much time passes. The anticipated total cost for the Carroll Recreation Center improvements is $7.35 million when design expenses and other costs are included. The city council also discussed the final phase of the Downtown Streetscape Project and train noise mitigation at Monday’s meeting. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more on those issues in upcoming newscasts.
