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A major step forward toward the realization of the Springwood Avenue Park took place Wednesday when the Asbury Park City Council selected an engineering company to provide design services for the project.

The vote was 3-0. Mayor Myra Campbell and council members Amy Quinn and John Loffredo voted yes. Deputy Mayor Sue Henderson and Councilman John Moor were not present at the meeting.

An $107,515 contract was awarded to Suburban Consulting Engineers, Inc., who will provide design, bidding and construction administration purposes.

Seven proposals were received ranging in price from $107,515 to approximately $236,000. Proposals were reviewed by City Engineer Joe Cunha and City Manager John “Jack” Kelly.

“Ideally, the lowest bidder also submitted the best package,” Cunha told member of the city council.

At completion, the park, situated on Springwood Avenue on the block between Union and Atkins Avenue, will contain a civic plaza with a courtyard and fountain, a raised stage area and artificial turf area for pick-up soccer games and other recreational activity. A playground has already been built on the site [shown above during the construction phase].

Although a conceptual design has been drawn up, Suburban Consulting will provide the comprehensive specifications for what will be contained in the eventual bid proposal and built on the site. In addition, the company will provide oversight of the project’s construction from start to finish, Kelly told the city council.

Estimated total costs for the park fall around $1 million, Cunha said. A more accurate amount for the projected hard costs will be available once Suburban Consulting completed the full project specifications, which should take about 12 weeks, he said.

Funding for the park’s completion is still underway. The city received a total of $750,000 in grants from the county for the park’s completion. The city is also contributing funds toward the park’s completion but the project still has about a $175,000 funding gap.

Most recently, the Monmouth Conservation Foundation joined the effort to see the park completed. The foundation, which was awarded a $30,000 matching challenge grant by the Mary Owen Borden Foundation if the Conservation Foundation can raise $30,000 itself, raised about $10,000 at a fundraiser held at Porta in May.

Cunha approximates actual ground breaking on the project to take place some time in mid-October. If successful, a mid- to late-May 2015 ribbon cutting would be planned, he said. Ideas for the creation of an area for recreation on the city’s West Side began in 2004.

In an effort to hire as much local talent as possible, Councilwoman Amy Quinn suggested the bid proposal for the park’s actual construction contain incentives for the company to hire local workers.

The contract requires approval from the state Department of Community Affairs.

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