The McCall Urban Renewal Agency hopes it has taken the steps to get the planned improvements at Legacy Park back on track.

Advertisements for construction bids have been sent out, and the agency plans to open the bids Feb. 20.

The bid calls for all the work to be completed by Dec. 1.

Only minor changes have been made to the redevelopment plans for the park since the original plans were downscaled due to bids that were too high last spring, City Engineer Betsy Roberts said.

Planned retaining walls on a proposed 108-space parking lot were removed from the project. Sloping ground will be used instead, Roberts said. The change should lower the price of the
project.

The project consists of storm water improvements to Lake Street and the paved parking lot, street paving with curb, gutter and sidewalk work.

Proposed. improvements to the park include a pedestrian promenade, a new concrete restroom building, landscaping, irrigation, pedestrian light poles, and other changes.

If the agency has money available after the main changes to the park are made construction contractors have also been asked to incorporate concrete beach seating walls, a spray play area, a sundial and the removal of existing concrete pier footings.

Work on the improvements will begin as soon as the weather permits, City Manager Lindley Kirkpatrick said.

In the meantime, the agency is looking over proposals from Tim Swanson of McCall and David Evans & Associates of Coeur d'Alene to work as the construction manager for the project.
CH2M Hill, the city's contract engineering firm in Boise, and Otak, a consultant on the project, will also be involved in the project, Roberts said.

Some work at the project has already been completed, Roberts said. Boulders were removed from the beach area last fall. Trees were also removed from the park and relocated at the McCall Municipal Golf Course.

Survey work was also done on East Lake Street, Roberts said. The city, agency and contractor will work together to keep access to businesses north of the park open during construction, Roberts said.

The urban renewal agency passed a $5 million bond in 2006 for the improvements. The project was bid twice last spring with all bids coming in too high.

In June, the agency decided to negotiate a contract with Petra, Inc., on the open market to do the work for about $2.5 million. Before signing a contract with Petra, Inc., the agency decided to reconsider bidding the project again, due to a lawsuit threat by Boise based landscaper Hillside Landscape Construction over the agency's bidding process.

Hillside Landscape Construction wanted the agency to re-bid the project. At a July meeting, the board agreed to do so.