Explanation
Background: This ordinance amends ordinance 2793-2022. There has been a change in direction for the project to be performed as the fountain located within Sensenbrenner Park is not able to be renovated due to more significant deterioration than originally known. As a result, the project will now be known as Sensenbrenner Park Plaza Improvements instead of Sensenbrenner Fountain Renovation. Also, the Director of Recreation and Parks will enter into a Guaranteed Maximum Reimbursement Agreement (GMRA) with Nationwide Realty Investors, LTD. (NRI) instead of the Design and Construction Agreement authorized in 2793-2022. Lastly, the amount of the agreement with NRI will be $600,992.00, up $992.00 from the $600,000.00 noted in 2793-2022.
The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) has owned Sensenbrenner Park since 1974 and it has since developed into a ‘pocket park” for those working, playing, and living in the downtown area. The park was named after the late M.E. “Jack” Sensenbrenner, a former Mayor of Columbus. The park underwent minor renovations in 1998, 2009, and in 2011. This ordinance will authorize the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into an agreement with NRI for repurposing this fountain space and making other needed renovations to the park plaza. It has been determined that it will not be feasible to keep the fountain in operation as the underground infrastructure is in need of replacement and the associated costs are exorbitant. These replacement costs associated with the significantly deteriorated existing fountain, along with the annual operating costs of a renovated fountain, make it no longer feasible to keep in operation.
The Guaranteed Maximum Reimbursement Agreement (GMRA) will focus on project objectives, construction process, NRI administration of the project, and project contributions. The partnership with NRI has been long standing, including previous agreements in 1994 and 2015. This project is a continuation i...
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