Phase II of aquatic center works brings $366,000 bid

Crews work to install water slides at the Greencastle Aquatic Center this summer — part of Phase I of upgrades to the facility. Mammoth Inc of Frankfort recently submitted the low bid for work on Phase II at the Robe-Ann Park facility.

Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

Rebidding has had its rewards for the Greencastle Park Department.

A second bidding of Phase II of the aquatic center project has at last produced the desired results with Mammoth Inc., Frankfort, submitting the low bid of $366,000 for final work on the bath house and a makeover for the zero-entry portion of the city pool.

The work will create a new straight-through entrance to the pool deck from the bath house as well as adding family changing rooms.

The other four bidders for the work and their proposals included:

-- SCS Construction Services, Greenwood, $369,400.

-- Boyle Construction Management, Indianapolis, $396,000.

-- Mattcom General Contractors, Indianapolis, $399,900.

-- J.C. Ripberger Construction, Zionsville, $431,000.

The bids are being reviewed by HWC Engineering, which asked the board to approve the low bidder and make board President Tim Trigg responsible for signing final documents.

The Park Board also approved alternate bids for a privacy fence at $7,500 and two $500 alternates for a geyser and foaming geyser attractions for the shallow end of the pool.

Meanwhile, the third time was the charm on rebidding work on the Greencastle Youth Baseball diamonds at Big Walnut Sports Park.

Feutz Construction, the same firm doing work for the city on Zinc Mill Road and finishing up the extension of Calbert Way to the east of the Walmart Superstore, was low bidder on the project.

The lone bidder on the project, Feutz submitted a base bid of $272,809.32, for parking lot and sidewalk work -- similar to what was done at the girls’ field last year -- which was recently approved by the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission.

Meanwhile, an alternate bid of $116,977 to install fencing along the soccer fields at Big Walnut was also approved, along with a $25,085 alternate to remove the aggregate and resod the area between the youth baseball fields, assuming the youth league wants to have that project done.

No bidder, however, submitted a proposal to replace the dugouts at Big Walnut that were damaged by a spring windstorm.

At the recent Redevelopment Commission meeting, Mayor Bill Dory suggested that since it marked the third time for bidding out the project that the city “move ahead with it.” He said there are spring completion dates in the contract so that leagues can open on time.

In other business, the Park Board:

-- Granted permission for Main Street Greencastle to conduct a drive-through trunk-or-treat event at Big Walnut Sports Park from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. Vehicles will be asked to enter the park from the east entrance off Edgewood Lake Road. That way the traffic flow will take vehicles past the vendors on the passenger’s side, allowing vendors to hand out the bagged candy to passing youngsters. Mike Richmond of Main Street said he is still looking for more groups or organizations to be vendors for the program, which replaces the traditional trick-or-treat on the square event this year.

-- Gave permission for the closing of the splash park for the season since temperatures have not been steadily 70 degrees and back-to-school activities have slowed attendance at the splash park.

-- Approved bills totaling $8,186.17 for work Joe Spiker Excavating has done in the park. Weinscenk said the work involved four small projects, including a blown-out tile near the DAR log cabin, a sidewalk buckled by a tree and more.

-- Heard Weinschenk report that the pickleball group would like to put two backyard-type fire pits at ether end of the pickleball courts during an Oct. 24 tournament. Both Mayor Bill Dory and the board suggested that propane heaters would be a better option and less dangerous than a fire pit.

-- Heard Weinschenk report that the is still looking at trying to offer a youth basketball program this winter. He said he has sent letters to school principals, requesting use of the gyms for youth basketball. As far as COVID restrictions go, Weinschenk said whatever the schools recommend is what will be followed.

Park Director Weinschenk and Park Board President Trigg were joined the October meeting by board members John Hennette, Cathy Merrell and Joanna Muncie.

The Greencastle Park Board will next meet in regular session at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 at City Hall.