By SAMANTHA HEARN
Improvements are continuing at Marcella Vivrette Smith Park in Brentwood, with two multipurpose athletic fields, a picnic shelter and a bathroom all on the way.
This second phase of improvements include the partial extension of the loop road and bikeway on the south side of Ravenswood Mansion, design of two multipurpose athletic fields with irrigation and parking, extension of the on-site utilities to serve the new improvements, a picnic shelter, bathroom building and a playground.
In October 2015, an agreement with Gresham Smith and Partners to begin design services for this phase was approved. In June of this year the City opened up bids for the construction of the phase, and received only one from Division 2 Constructors for $2,225,000.
The overall budget for the project is $2,325,000, and includes installation of the picnic shelter which is to be funded by the Citizens for Brentwood Greenspace donations, the bathroom building and playground through future separate contracts. Thus, the Division 2 bid is above projected cost estimates for the scope of the work included in this bid.
Staff met with Division 2 to see if there was any value engineering that would reduce the big without negatively impacting the overall budget. They were able to reduce the contract price by $185,260 to $2,039,740, leaving enough to purchase the picnic shelter, bathroom building and playground.
Division 2 is also the contractor on the current Wikle and Flagpole parks project, and staff report that they have had good experience with the company on that.
Construction is projected to take about nine months, depending on weather and any unforeseen circumstances.
The city purchased 320 acres from the Smith family for $10 million in 2011 and an additional 80 acres for $3 million in 2013, turning it into Marcella Vivrette Smith Park to honor it’s history and place in the community. This was the city’s largest-ever land purchase, and the park is the largest in Brentwood. The city purchased the land with no financial aid from the county or the state.
Earlier this year Ravenswood Mansion at Smith Park had improvements done as well, replacing the roofs. Ravenswood Mansion has been in the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, and preservation of the home is required. Renovations on the brick home began in 2013.
Built in 1825, It’s one of the earliest brick houses constructed in the county, preceding both the Carnton, which was built in 1826, and the Carter House, built in 1830. The Mansion is now used as a wedding and event venue, and the first wedding was held there in 2014.
Since opening in 2014, the historic Ravenswood Mansion has produced more than $130,000 in revenue after it was renovated in 2013.
Smith Park and Ravenswood Mansion are located at 1825 Wilson Pike in Brentwood.
For more information about the history of the Mansion, visit www.ravenswoodmansion.com.
Samantha Hearn reports for Home Page Media Group. She can be reached via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @samanthahearn.
