Clock ticking on $1.3 million Lake Arlington project, set to begin next month
A long-planned Lake Arlington Park upgrade project will break ground next month, but the clock already is ticking on when it must be complete to receive state funds defraying its $1.3 million cost.
The Arlington Heights Park District has until August to start and finish its planned upgrades around the 50-acre detention lake, under terms of a state grant program that's earmarked $400,000 for the project. The district would pay for costs not covered by the state.
The work was delayed in early 2015 when the grant was among $26 million in state park funds temporarily frozen by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Even after the state released the money, park district officials decided to reduce the project's scope and rebid after initial bids, ranging from $1.4 million to $1.6 million, were higher than the $1.1 million budgeted.
The park board this week approved a low bid of just over $1 million from Team Reil, a Union-based parks and playgrounds equipment firm.
But the district also plans to spend $281,000 more on a number of items through publicly bid cooperatives and other bids, to avoid overhead costs if purchased through the contractor.
That includes a new 32-foot hexagon shelter, separate playgrounds for ages 2 to 5 and ages 5 to 12, fitness equipment, a fishing pier, a boat dock extension, and interpretive signs. Team Reil will install those pieces, officials said.
Other work includes widening the biking/walking path from 10 to 14 feet in five locations, along with sealcoating and striping; planting a sensory garden; and adding native plantings to the sand space.
Crews also will install a precast concrete boardwalk, which will connect an existing ramp to the new fishing pier and boat dock.