OCEAN CITY – Six proposals for a new playground build at the Downtown Recreation Complex will be reviewed following bid openings this week.
In a Mayor and Council meeting Tuesday, six bids were opened for a new playground build at the Downtown Recreation Complex. With a budgeted amount of $502,000, bids ranged from just over $495,000 to $502,000.
“Typically what we do with these playground bids is we do provide them a guidance budget and tell them to show us what you can do with that amount of money,” City Manager Terry McGean told the council this week. “So it would not be unheard of for a couple of bids to come in exactly at the budgeted amount.”
Located between 3rd and 4th streets bayside and bounded by Philadelphia and Chicago avenues, the Downtown Recreation Complex is being redeveloped in phases to include various recreation opportunities.
For the east section of the complex, the plan includes an expanded skate park, relocating the existing basketball courts and an improved inclusive playground area.
The section to the west would be less developed and more passive. It includes a vast flexible lawn in the center surrounded by trees for pickup sports and other events, a playground area, new restrooms and more. The recreational fishing areas along the bulkhead would also be retained.
A key element in the overall park complex redevelopment is the expansion of the decades-old Ocean Bowl Skate Park. The plan calls for upgrading the existing facility along with the addition of popular street-skate elements. The expansion will take the skate park from its existing 10,000 square feet to 17,000 square feet.
As the project moves forward, the town this week received bids from six vendors for its playground build at the complex. Miracle Recreation submitted a bid of $495,167, Playground Specialists Inc. submitted a bid of $498,000, River Valley Landscapes submitted a bid of $500,000, GameTime submitted a bid of $501,839, and both West Products and Services and Commercial Recreation Products submitted bids of $502,000.
“I believe many of these bids have different designs,” McGean said. “So it would require staff evaluation.”
With no further discussion, the council voted 5-0, with Council President Matt James and Councilman John Gehrig absent, to acknowledge the six bids and remand them to staff for further review.
“We got six bids,” McGean said. “That was very good.”
