Planned reopening of historic Edmond park will happen later than city officials hoped

EDMOND — City officials reset their countdown to launch Edmond's oldest park into the future — again.

At the city council's last meeting in July, members were told the opening of a large section of Stephenson Park will have to be delayed.

The problem, they were told, was a late, unexpected discovery of an 8-inch water main in the path of an underground drainage structure needing to be built through the intersection of E Fourth and Littler.

The drainage structure is required to help pull water from future development around the park into an underground storm water detention system serving both those projects and the park itself.

Rudy Construction, the job's contractor, needs to keep the park's center portion closed until late this year, if not longer. Once finished, the park's center will include a boardwalk through a grove of historic trees within the park, a concrete plaza covered by a new pavilion, a small lawn and a water feature kids can play in during hot summer months.

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Before the end of September, however, the city will reopen the eastern portion of the park north of the Edmond History Museum. That portion of the park includes a new piece of playground equipment that looks sort of like an earth-tied space station, plus the iconic rocketship that put the park on Edmond's map for decades.

The rocket has been refurbished and updated to prevent its use as a toy — its slide was donated to the Edmond History Museum. The eastern portion of the park also includes a memorial plaza.

At the same time, it will reopen the western portion of the park, which includes a basketball court, an event lawn and plaza located between the park's center, the Rodkey House and American Legion building.

A complete rebuild of Fourth Street between Littler and Boulevard that also was part of the park's renovation is almost complete. Sidewalks, pavers, lighting and landscaping will be installed soon.

Fourth change order on Edmond's Stephenson Park increases project's length and cost

At the July meeting, Edmond City Council members approved a needed change order for the job, adding $53,210.04 to the project's cost and pushing the total bill for Stephenson Park's renovation to $6,761,252.69.

As for Rudy Construction Co., the delayed opening only further lengthens a job the contractor had hoped to complete in just 240 days.

So far, the project's opening has been delayed about two months, with about half of that time attributable to unfavorable weather conditions. Other delays have been caused by other design and supply issues.

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Ryan Ochsner, Edmond's director of community quality, said Stephenson Park's renovation turned out to be more complex than expected because the site contains historical elements (like Works Progress Administration-built stone bridges) and because the park's small footprint required the contractor to intricately stage phases of work so that subcontractors would not be getting in each others' ways.

"We wanted to be sure and take the care that was needed to give the attention to detail" the park's historical elements deserved, said Ochsner, noting the park is something many Edmond residents care deeply about.

"Materials have actually been a very challenging aspect of this project," Ochsner said. "There has been many things added to this park over the decades and very little coordination on how they looked, so trying to tie all that together has taken a lot."

Eager Edmond council unhappy about delays

"The report states there were 92 non-weather day delays (so far)," Councilman Barry Moore said. "How do we avoid that in the future?"

Ochsner told Moore and his colleagues the city's staff already is reviewing its internal strategies for projects like the park's renovation. For some future projects, he suggested Edmond may consider using a construction manager at risk model to manage those jobs.

That model has gained recent popularity with municipal and county officials because it guarantees the governmental entity a set price for the work, plus gives a contractor more control over changes that are needed as work continues by eliminating red tape associated with getting those changes approved.

"Certainly, there are internal things that can and will be done to avoid those types of delays in the future," Ochsner said.

Will the centerpiece play structure be too hot to use?

Councilman Tom Robins complimented work Rudy Construction has done on the park so far, but questioned whether a new, large play structure installed at the park will be safe for children to use.

That play piece, which has a space-related theme like the rocketship inside the park, is made of bright, shiny metal and includes a long, enclosed slide.

Aaron Urton, the project manager for the contractor Rudy Construction, told council members he had asked about that as well, but had been told by the equipment's installer it reflects heat outward and that the interior of its slide remains cool.

"I don't know how that all happens, but the same structure is in a park in Shawnee as well, and I haven't heard of any issues," Urton said.

Councilwoman Christin Mugg said that issue was discussed whenever the council approved designs for the park before the project began, adding it would be safer than the slide once used by kids to exit the old rocketship.

"That was something we vetted out when we selected and approved the purchase of that," she said.

Still, Robins suggested somebody try out the equipment while it's hot to ensure that's the case.

"I really want something that we don't have to go back and fix in July 2024."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Edmond city officials delays opening historic Stephenson Park