Plans for O’Fallon park overhaul take shape, but council wants more information on funding

A construction timetable for the Community Park Enhancement Project is on schedule for completion in May 2025, but O’Fallon aldermen are seeking stronger communication regarding financing and plan changes because decisions still need to be made.

The Community Park approved a management services contract with Holland Construction on Monday to oversee all aspects of replacing the Katy Cavins Community Center with a new building.

The resolution included $75,000 for pre-construction costs and 4.75% of construction management. A year ago, Holland Construction was contracted to oversee replacing the pool and plans for a new outdoor event space and amphitheater.

In June, the plans to renovate the Cavins Community Center, at an estimated cost of more than $2.5 million, were shelved in favor of new construction because of the 96-year-old building’s accessibility and maintenance issues.

Andrew Dallner, director of parks and recreation, said funding analysis has estimated the new pool to cost $9.1 million and $8.2 million for the Cavins Center, plaza/event space, amphitheater, and parking lots.

Community Park is located along U.S. 50. The pool was built in 1959 and the Cavins Center in 1927.

Dallner said the proposed Cavins Center design is one level for flexibility for event rentals, parties, summer camp and sports like pickleball and basketball.

He presented the latest design to the council’s parks and environment committee on Dec. 11 that incorporated aldermen’s suggestions to increase storage space, increase kitchen facilities and prevent window glare. He confirmed the windows would be bulletproof.

After collecting more questions and concerns from the council, he will present the final design at the Jan. 8 parks and environment committee meeting.

Committee members expressed concerns about resourcing data and confusion on information updates.

The first actions regarding the park enhancement project began a year ago, at the Dec. 22, 2022, council meeting, when asked to hire Holland Construction and FGM Architects to design concepts.

Since then, the approved upgrades include a lap pool, recreational pool, concession stand, locker rooms, restrooms and Parks and Recreation staff offices at the new pool area.

The lap pool will have six lanes and a deep end with a diving board. The recreational pool will have a zero-depth entrance area with a splash pad and spray features. It will have a vortex feature and a ninja warrior adventure crossing, and there will be two water slides. Concessions and restrooms will be configured so that they can be used when the pool is closed.

The amphitheater/outdoor event space will be used for concerts, theatrical performances, outdoor movies, and special events such as wedding receptions.

A 10-foot-wide trail that will circumvent the park is expected to start construction in March. When the Fourth Street reconstruction project begins, the trail will be built along Apple to connect the park with O’Fallon Station.

The council approved paying Gleeson Asphalt $469,923.40 at Monday’s meeting for the regional trail improvements that will include three concrete entryways at the east, west and south entrances of the community park. A grant from the Metro East Parks and Recreation District for $281,954 will be used, with the city’s portion $224,480.

Support from residents and officials for the major upgrades has been generally positive, considered enhancing the town’s quality of life. The public had input on the Park Master Plan, starting in 2019 and finalized in 2021. Pool replacement was the top priority during those sessions.

Dallner has kept both the parks and environmental and the finance and administration committees abreast of updates, as minutes of every meeting indicate.

However, as changes occurred – specifically in funding after the city did not receive a $2.8 million OSLAD grant, aldermen said they were not certain about the plans overall, and several residents said they were too, in navigating information.

Finance Director Sandy Evans told the finance committee on Nov. 27 that they felt confident it would still be more cost-effective for new construction instead of renovating Cavins.

On Dec. 7, bonds were sold. They will generate $8.45 million and will be paid with the utility tax payments of $525,000 over 30 years at a 5% interest rate and the bonds will be invested until needed and are expected to generate around $450,000.

Other funding includes $6,134,700 in cash reserves from the General Fund as well as Economic Development and Parks reserve funds, Evans explained.

Communication Confusion

At the Dec. 11 parks committee meeting, considering the construction management resolution for council action prompted a 45-minute discussion on the flow of information regarding funding and evolving plans.

Chairman Jerry Albrecht said the council had not seen the full plan, cost analysis and other facts all at once and in one place.

“I need to see specifically what we are spending money on, what is it going to cost, and where the funding is coming from,” he said.

City Administrator Walter Denton said the information has been presented and is available. He pointed to the Oct. 2 council meeting where bonds were approved, and cash reserves were authorized.

“The costs have not changed since the Oct. 2nd meeting,” he said.

Dallner said they are following a timeline based on the council’s actions.

“We are really under a time crunch. We have to be mindful of the schedule,” he said.

Delays would cause a domino effect of setbacks, especially summer camp schedules, and increased costs would negatively impact the project, Dallner said.

Committee members, while agreeing with Albrecht on some aspects, voted to send the construction management resolution to council.

The vote 12-1 on Monday advanced the plan on schedule.

Alderman Jessica Lotz, while stating she supported the park improvements, shared her frustration regarding the process to date. She suggested that, for people who may be coming into the process at a later meeting, more context was necessary.

“We have been informed, but we lack consistent and effective communication about that. We get a little bit of an update,” she said, noting more would help provide context to residents and officials.

Moving forward, she requested that instead of updates, whoever is delivering the reports spend 3-5 minutes in a briefing, even if it means going over things again.

“The council will benefit from the repetition. I want them to give context and paint a picture,” she said.

Albrecht agreed.

“The staff did a great job putting together everything about replacing the pool. But in my opinion, then things got out of hand. We only got a piece of it. I want them to put it all together because we’re being asked to approve $19 million of public money,” he said.

Alderman Ross Rosenberg said he agreed with Lotz and supported the project.

“None of this is new, nothing just popped up,” he said. “But it’s almost like we are putting the cart before the horse.”

Funded Through Bonds

In September, Evans explained how the pool replacement was to be funded through bonds to be paid by the city’s utility tax. The bonds to construct the public safety facility expire in 2024, and bonds to replace the pool can be paid with the same utility tax revenues, Evans said.

“We believe there is funding available without jeopardizing our budget or bond rating,” she said.

Available funds included a utility tax originally used for Public Safety Building and proceeds from bond investments.

The city council approved the $525,000 bonds earlier this fall, authorizing use of reserves to fund the projects and if necessary, amending the FY24 budget.

Construction on the new pool is planned for summer 2024. At the end of August, the existing pool will be closed, and construction begun, with demolition expected in September.