By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
A much higher-than-expected cost estimate for replacing the gazebo at Vande Luyster Square could put the project on hold for a while.
As a result, the city of Zeeland may look to replace playground equipment at Lawrence Street Park as its next major parks project.
Assistant City Manager Kevin Plockmeyer told City Council members Monday night that the cost of replacing the more than 30-year-old gazebo has been estimated at about $500,000. Holland-based MCSA Group, the city’s landscape architect, came up with the estimate while doing design work on the project.
MCSA Group presented its design and cost estimate for replacing the gazebo to the city’s Cemetery & Parks Commission in early December. Plockmeyer said that the cost spike was the result of additional features that would need to be included in the new gazebo, not replacing the gazebo itself.
“To replace the gazebo one-for-one is about $100,000-$125,000, which is what I would have expected (with) a metal gazebo with the ornamental-ness of the one that is out there, to retain that charm,” he said.
The master plan for the new gazebo calls for the structure to be elevated, with three or four steps leading up to it, Plockmeyer said.
“It’s the raising of the gazebo – by the time you put the steps in, the retaining walls, and now (to make it) ADA-accessible, you have to have a ramp, and then you need to have handrails on the ramp, and then the landscaping associated with it – that’s where your extra $300,000-$400,000 comes from,” Plockmeyer said.
Despite the higher-than-expected price tag, the Cemetery & Parks Commission wants to stay with its original plan for the gazebo, Plockmeyer said.
“We have our vision, we like our vision. We tend not to deviate from that vision, and there’s successful projects (that have been done by sticking with that vision) – Huizenga Park with Timber Town, the pickleball courts at Huizenga Park. Hoogland Park is a great example of ‘that is our vision, we stick to our vision, we complete and execute our vision,” Plockmeyer said.
While the city still plans to move ahead with a new gazebo at some point, the focus has shifted over to Lawrence Street Park and its playground.
“When we looked at where our schedule was for potential upgrades to our parks, we were hoping to do the Vande Luyster Square gazebo at around $125,000 and upgrade the playground equipment at Lawrence Park at roughly the same time,” Plockmeyer said.
“Well, a half-million dollar (estimate) has made us pause and say, ‘okay, we really should evaluate what does it cost to replace the playground equipment at Lawrence Park?’
“If you were to ask (Cemetery Parks Supervisor) Mike Bronkhorst, he would say, that’s probably one of our top priorities is that playground equipment, that we really need to (replace) that and maybe (do) more of a Band-Aid for Vande Luyster Square. Again, we want to look at what are the costs associated with both of these upgrades, because again, the money can only go so far,” Plockmeyer added.
The council on Monday approved a professional services contract with MCSA Group to perform design work on the Lawrence Street Park playground project at $9,440. This is on top of the $11,190 the city paid MCSA for design services on replacing the gazebo.
The contract calls for MCSA Group to develop preliminary design options and an estimated project cost for the Lawrence Street Park playground that would then be presented to the Cemetery & Parks Commission for review, Plockmeyer said.
Zeeland Record
A much higher-than-expected cost estimate for replacing the gazebo at Vande Luyster Square could put the project on hold for a while.
As a result, the city of Zeeland may look to replace playground equipment at Lawrence Street Park as its next major parks project.
Assistant City Manager Kevin Plockmeyer told City Council members Monday night that the cost of replacing the more than 30-year-old gazebo has been estimated at about $500,000. Holland-based MCSA Group, the city’s landscape architect, came up with the estimate while doing design work on the project.
MCSA Group presented its design and cost estimate for replacing the gazebo to the city’s Cemetery & Parks Commission in early December. Plockmeyer said that the cost spike was the result of additional features that would need to be included in the new gazebo, not replacing the gazebo itself.
“To replace the gazebo one-for-one is about $100,000-$125,000, which is what I would have expected (with) a metal gazebo with the ornamental-ness of the one that is out there, to retain that charm,” he said.
The master plan for the new gazebo calls for the structure to be elevated, with three or four steps leading up to it, Plockmeyer said.
“It’s the raising of the gazebo – by the time you put the steps in, the retaining walls, and now (to make it) ADA-accessible, you have to have a ramp, and then you need to have handrails on the ramp, and then the landscaping associated with it – that’s where your extra $300,000-$400,000 comes from,” Plockmeyer said.
Despite the higher-than-expected price tag, the Cemetery & Parks Commission wants to stay with its original plan for the gazebo, Plockmeyer said.
“We have our vision, we like our vision. We tend not to deviate from that vision, and there’s successful projects (that have been done by sticking with that vision) – Huizenga Park with Timber Town, the pickleball courts at Huizenga Park. Hoogland Park is a great example of ‘that is our vision, we stick to our vision, we complete and execute our vision,” Plockmeyer said.
While the city still plans to move ahead with a new gazebo at some point, the focus has shifted over to Lawrence Street Park and its playground.
“When we looked at where our schedule was for potential upgrades to our parks, we were hoping to do the Vande Luyster Square gazebo at around $125,000 and upgrade the playground equipment at Lawrence Park at roughly the same time,” Plockmeyer said.
“Well, a half-million dollar (estimate) has made us pause and say, ‘okay, we really should evaluate what does it cost to replace the playground equipment at Lawrence Park?’
“If you were to ask (Cemetery Parks Supervisor) Mike Bronkhorst, he would say, that’s probably one of our top priorities is that playground equipment, that we really need to (replace) that and maybe (do) more of a Band-Aid for Vande Luyster Square. Again, we want to look at what are the costs associated with both of these upgrades, because again, the money can only go so far,” Plockmeyer added.
The council on Monday approved a professional services contract with MCSA Group to perform design work on the Lawrence Street Park playground project at $9,440. This is on top of the $11,190 the city paid MCSA for design services on replacing the gazebo.
The contract calls for MCSA Group to develop preliminary design options and an estimated project cost for the Lawrence Street Park playground that would then be presented to the Cemetery & Parks Commission for review, Plockmeyer said.
