Park options discussed (4/6/04)

Portland Park Board members got a glimpse Tuesday night of what the entrance to the planned Hudson Family Park could look like.

Chairman of the board’s citizens advisory committee Bob Quadrozzi presented the park board with drawings for a possible design for the entryway to the park.

The plans were created by Schneider Corporation of Indianapolis. The proposed park entrance would include a circular area with a small replica of the Arch Bridge in the center of it. The entryway also would have other components of the larger bridge, such as similar light posts. Park visitors could enter the park from Union Street.

After the board reviewed the drawings, Quadrozzi said the committee is very excited about the engineering firm’s ideas. He said the advisory committee would like to continue to work with Schneider to design the park’s entrance.

Board members unanimously voted to allow the committee to continue its work with Schneider.

Funding for the entrance design work will come from the city budget and economic development income tax funds, Quadrozzi said.

Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said this morning the city’s capital improvement funds and other funding sources could be used to finance the design and the actual construction of the park entrance.

“We will use a combination of funding resources to help fund this phase of the project,” Hosier said.

Quadrozzi said the committee hopes to know in four to six weeks how much funding is available to pay for the design of the park’s entrance and how much the design work will cost.

Quadrozzi said the advisory committee would like to see design work begin on the amphitheater. He said Hosier sent letters to about 10 engineering firms describing the project to see if they might be interested in designing the amphitheater. Only Schneider, Jones & Phillips Associates Inc. of Lafayette and Schmidt Associates of Indianapolis responded.

Schneider and Jones & Phillips have collaborated on other projects before, Quadrozzi said. Jones & Phillips could consult with Schneider on the acoustics of the amphitheater, with Schneider doing most of the design work, he said.

The board voted to allow the committee to work with Schneider and Jones & Phillips to design the amphitheater.

The more than 34-acre park will be located southeast of Weiler-Wilson Park. The cost to develop the park has been estimated at $3.4 million.

In other business, the board:

•Voted to let the summer swim team hang sponsor signs on a fence located on the south side of Portland Pool.

•Accepted a $2,875 bid by TJ Concrete Construction of Portland to create ramps and sidewalks near the restrooms and pavilion at Haynes Park so handicapped people can access them.[[In-content Ad]]