Bid Awarded, Soccer Complex Slated For 2009 Opening
Market Conditions Result In Signifi cant Cost Savings For Hugo
HUGO - On Feb. 19, the Hugo City Council awarded the construction bid for the Rice Lake Soccer Complex to Arnt Construction Company, Inc. in the amount of $846,849.25, a number that came in well below the engineer's estimate of $1.15 million.
The remarkably low bid "is a product of the market conditions right now," said Community Development Director Bryan Bear.
"Contractors are suffering due to the market conditions. They have less work, and so when a project comes along, they want the project pretty badly, and their bids reflect that," he added.
While the project has come to be known as the Rice Lake Soccer Complex, Public Works Director Chris Petree said that the city is trying to change the complex's name to Rice Lake Park, reflecting the fact that soccer will not be the only activity taking place on the park's 80 acres. The play area will be subdivided into five full-size fields complete with drainage and irrigation systems.
"Soccer's the emphasis, but there's also a large need for lacrosse fields," Petree said, adding that the city also envisions the park hosting youth football and ultimate frisbee games.
"There's really just a need for open fields.there's needs for specialty fields as well, but mostly just for open, large, manicured areas," he said.
Petree said that the fields will be seeded this August, with activities in the park tentatively slated to begin sometime during the summer or fall of 2009.
In the week following the bid award, The Citizen received a phone call from a resident concerned about the park's proximity to the neighboring Paul Hugo Farms Wildlife Management Area, in which hunting is allowed.
When asked to respond to this concern, city staff members said that the issue had been considered during the planning process, and that the city had determined that there is no cause for concern.
Hunting in the WMA will occur "several thousand feet away," said City Administrator Mike Ericson, referring to the fact that there are expansive wetlands located between the WMA and the planned location of the fields.
"Our engineers were very comfortable with the buffer area and the amount of property in between the WMA and the park," added Petree.
Tim Bremicker, DNR Central Region Wildlife Manager, said that the DNR had looked into the issue during the park's planning process.
"Based on the plans that we've examined, we feel that there is adequate space and buffer between our property line and the soccer fields to address any safety concerns," he said.
The bid award sets the stage for construction to begin on the first phase of the project, with a second phase that will involve the construction of a concession stand and indoor restrooms to take place sometime in the future.
Hot dogs and plumbing aside, city officials are excited about the park's potential to make Hugo a destination for young soccer players and families from throughout the metro area.
"We would like to think this will be the crown jewel of our park system in terms of off ering these sports right in Hugo," said Ericson. "We think the demand in our area is very, very large, and now we'll have a place to hold those tournaments."