Troy City Council’s Recreation and Parks Committee had a busy meeting Monday night. The committee moved forward with recommendations for Council to spend $2.582 million on improvements at the Troy Aquatic Park. It also recommended $2 million for a new irrigation system at Miami Shores Golf Course, along with another $275,000 for a new pump tied to that system.
But one item did not move forward.
The committee decided to hold off on recommending a $615,000 contract with American Structurepoint for the next steps in the Duke Park redesign.
The contract would allow the city to hire American Structurepoint for the early planning work connected to the Park and Recreation Master Plan adopted by the Park Board in March.
That work would include preliminary design for a major expansion at Duke Park. The early plans call for up to seven new baseball and softball diamonds north of the current fields. They also call for up to six full-sized rectangular fields for soccer and football. The project could also include changes to roads, parking, and walking paths. New restrooms, concession areas, and storage buildings are also being considered. The contract would not pay for construction.
Instead, the $615,000 would pay for two parts of the planning process. The first part would help the City decide what should be built. The other part would look at how the expanded park should be managed and operated once it is complete.
City staff told the committee that the next phase, which includes final design, engineering, construction services, and a construction cost estimate, would come later. That cost is not yet known.
A familiar firm
City staff spent time explaining how American Structurepoint was selected. The City received nine proposals from firms interested in the work. Staff interviewed five firms and narrowed the list to three. Two Park Board members then joined City staff in selecting one firm.
Staff said the City used the evaluation process required under Ohio law for this type of professional-services contract. That process looks at qualifications, experience on similar projects, public-engagement plans, site planning, and infrastructure recommendations. American Structurepoint was identified as the top-ranked firm. The Park Board approved the recommendation on August 17.
The firm is also no stranger to Troy.
American Structurepoint has worked on several major City planning and design efforts in recent years. The firm worked on Troy’s new Comprehensive Plan and the rewrite of the Unified Development Code. It was also involved in the West Main Street and Experiment Farm Road roundabout, as well as the Adams Street, Staunton Road, and Riverside Drive roundabout. And, of course, it was the lead consultant on the Park and Recreation Master Plan that now guides the Duke Park proposal. American Structurepoint has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars through City contracts since 2021.
Why the committee paused
Even with that background, the committee did not recommend the contract Monday night.
Recreation and Parks Committee Chairman Jeffrey Whidden said the committee needed more time because of the project’s size and the speed of the decision. “Because of the scope of this project, its size, and a little bit of the speed we’re moving at,” Whidden said, “it would be my recommendation right now that we kind of just table this until a further committee meeting.” The committee agreed.
The item was not rejected, rather it was simply moved to a later meeting, possibly September 14.
Council members did not ask staff for a long list of new materials. But Whidden indicated that he wanted to see the consultant’s proposal and the presentation American Structurepoint made during the selection process.
City staff said that information could be provided to the committee and the full Council.
The Bigger Questions
The committee’s pause is notable because the Duke Park work is the crown jewel of the city’s much anticipated Master Recreation and Parks Plan. It is also notable because the City was prepared to move forward with more than $4.8 million in other recreation-related spending at the same meeting.
There is nothing wrong with Council members taking more time before approving a $615,000 contract. In fact, a project of this size deserves a careful review.
But Council should be clear about what information it needs before moving forward.
The City has already completed a competitive selection process. Staff followed the qualifications-based process required for professional design work. The Park Board has recommended the firm. And the proposed agreement is for preliminary planning and operations work, not final construction.
It will be interesting to see what questions and what details will come out of September’s meeting that will discuss this contract further.
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