West Bank restroom work begins; residents question cost

The parking lot in West Bank Park and a portion of 3rd Avenue Northwest will be closed to traffic for the next three weeks as crews install utility lines for the new restroom in the park.

The construction work started Monday and is expected to continue through Aug. 19.

During the construction, access from 3rd Avenue Northwest to the federal courthouse will be provided and the contractor, David W. Kuglin Construction, will provide barricades and traffic signs in the area to notify drivers.

The utility lines will serve a new restroom in West Bank Park that will comply with the American Disabilities Act and include a water fountain.

Last week, City Commission approved a $203,974 contract to Wadsworth Builders Company Inc. for the project.

Commissioner Fred Burow and some city residents questioned the cost.

Joe Petrella, Park and Recreation director, said the bids came back higher than the estimated $187,000 for the project, but the higher total will still be funded with tax increment funds.

In March, the commission approved $460,000 worth of TIF funds for a package of improvements in the park. Those TIF funds will be combined with other funding sources to complete $839,483 worth of improvements.

The other funding sources include $311,144 in grants, $49,839 from RTI, and $18,500 will come from Park and Rec funds.

No funding from the city's general fund is being obligated to this project.

Petrella said the department is adjusting other plans to keep the entire package of improvements within budget and working with the contractor to bring the cost down.

The bathroom project was estimated to be funded by a $101,000 Missouri Madison RiverFund grant; $69,835 in TIF funds; $8,900 Northwest Energy/PPL grant with a $8,900 match from the city. With the higher bid cost, the other funding will still come from TIF funds, Petrella said.

Some of the cost involved comes from the soil conditions in West Bank Park and possible contaminants.

Big Sky Environmental did petro remediation work in 2012 after the old county shop closed, but there's still a potential for contaminated soils at a depth of about 5 feet, said Jesse Patton, a city engineer.

The gradients in the area for ground water have potentially brought contaminants into the park and the city has monitoring wells installed in the park.

That required a reinforced foundation, which has been designed by CTA Architects.

The restroom project includes men's and women's restrooms in a single structure that will be near the existing parking lot and a sidewalk will be constructed from the parking lot to the River's Edge Trail and the new restrooms. A drinking fountain will be attached to the middle exterior column of the restroom.

Other improvements included in the TIF funding package include a parking lot, an ADA connection from 3rd Avenue Northwest to the River's Edge Trail, replacement of deteriorating sidewalk, irrigation and landscaping, replacement of existing vault toilet, and concrete trail replacement, including pump house removal.

Patty Rearden first presented the improvements to the City Commission during a December work session. The project was presented again in February and went before the planning board before receiving commission approval in March. The restroom design went before the Design Review Board in May.

The improvements to West Bank Park were identified in a master plan that the city developed with CTA in 2010 with input from city staff; neighborhood councils 2 and 3; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Recreational Trails, Inc.; U.S. Forest Service and Cascade County officials. The master plan process also involved a town hall meeting, neighborhood council meetings, a two-day design meeting with the public and surveys.

The master plan was adopted by the City Commission on March 15, 2011.

The TIF funding for this project is available through the West Bank tax increment financing district, which was established in 2007 when the commission created the Great Falls West Bank Urban Renewal Plan. In the TIF, taxes on development and improvement over a base level go into a fund that can be used on public infrastructure.