- November 22, 2024
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The city of Palm Coast's proposed budget for 2024 includes $3 million to fix the Holland Park splash pad.
The splash pad’s surface delaminated shortly after the attraction opened, becoming a trip hazard that forced the city to close it. The city decided last November to sue the contractors it considers responsible for the damage.
During a budget presentation at an Aug. 29 City Council workshop meeting, Mayor David Alfin said he was concerned the $3 million wouldn’t be a realistic price estimate and would just act as a placeholder.
Stormwater and Engineering Director Carl Cote said the city has received one bid for the project from Saboungi Construction, Inc. Saboungi submitted a work bid of $2.6 million, according to the bid documents.
“We just put dollars in there so if council’s direction is ‘let’s move forward now,’ we had some hard costs to go after and seek reimbursement on [it],” Cote said. “We can always reallocate those funds.”
The project scope includes modifying and replacing several parts of the pad’s flooring, including installing a new code-compliant surface material, the bid documents said. The council has not reviewed or approved the bid yet.
Cote said Saboungi agreed to extend the bid another 90 days, and it will now expire in late November, early December.
“If we want it open at all for next summer,” he said, “we’re going to have to give them the go-ahead soon.”
Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri said that based on her experience as a lawyer, having a firm number for what it will cost to fix the splash pad will help in the litigation process.
Both council members Nick Klufas and Cathy Heighter agreed with Pontieri.
“I think that it’s really important to get that splash pad opened up for the children in the community,” Pontieri said.
