Park Arthur Pavilion Costs 'Sink' to $600,000

The classic question that seems to hover over Park Arthur in Muskego continues to be, "Do we spent a lot of money now and get it done sooner, or spread out the costs over time and lengthen the time it takes to complete the work in the park?"

Monday night the pavilion came back for review, and Susan Becker with Graef consulting offered a list of options that could be likened to an a la carte offering of amenities for the pavilion and shelter.

Earlier costs that hovered around $750,000 had board members suffering from sticker shock. New options have lowered the cost to approximately $600,000, but it's still double that of what the city had budgeted for the pavilion.

Craig Anderson, Parks Director explained that grant monies coming in from other projects like the Boxhorn Launch, and projected revenues from , could help get the pavilion up and running for even less. He reminded the board that the original estimate was based on costs for the Idle Isle Park Pavilion, but they didn't take into account any of the infrastructure costs like sewer hookups and water lines.

After some discussion among the board members on what they would prioritize to be built this year, they decided to offer the following proposal (and costs) to the Common Council:

• Base bid for the pavilion, including utility service, permanent restrooms, and putting in the hookups for sewer and water - $445,000
• A north shelter (or wing) to be added to the shelter - $58,000
• Electrical service to the north side - $7,200
• Heating system installation on the south side - $50,000
• Radiant heat and power feed to the north side - $14,600

Alderman Dan Soltysiak, who sits on the board, reminded members that it would ultimately be up to the council to determine which of the three priorities beyond the base bid would be approved. He was not in favor of the final item, stating that he felt the north wing of the pavilion didn't need heat.

Others stressed the need to make sure something was getting completed in the park, as residents have waited since the land was acquired in 1996 to use the park.

"I think this is going to be a park that will last us a long time, and I'd hate to see us piecemeal the main structure in it," Butch LeDoux argued. "Let's get to work on building this right, and only hold off on those items that can be added later without having to redo anything."

The council will take up the recommendations likely at its May 28 meeting.