Prosper Town Council approved additional funding for Raymond Community Park after previously tabling the decision due to uncertainty over costs and funding.

Some background

In July, Town Council members approved additional funding for more lighting at the multipurpose fields, aided by a donation from the Prosper Area Soccer Organization, bringing the park’s budget to $26.357 million.

Council members delayed the latest funding decision due to questions about costs and the project’s timeline.

Since then, the project’s budget has increased again to $26.485 million, according to Oct. 14 town documents.

What you need to know

At their Oct. 14 meeting, council members approved a $613,160 funding change order, including:

• $504,200 for additional construction costs
  • $353,129: additional sod instead of hydromulch
  • $81,752: irrigation system preparation for future well and pump
  • $69,319: contingency amount
• $81,460 for professional services for Peak Program Value LLC
• $27,500 for professional services for Dunway Associates LLC

Due to timing issues and delays, Parks and Recreation Director Dan Baker said staff recommended installing sod instead of the originally planned hydromulch on the multipurpose fields.

The future well and pump system will prevent the sod from “future disruption,” according to town documents.

What they’re saying

Council member Marcus Ray said Sept. 23 the project was initially allocated $15 million through the 2020 bond program, and the budget has increased to almost $27 million as the town has added to the park’s plans.

Ray also said he had concerns about the change order not going before the Parks and Recreation Board prior to council’s Sept. 23 meeting. Ahead of the council's Oct. 14 meeting, the board voted 5-1 to approve the additional funding, Baker said.

Ray said he would prefer approving funding all at once rather than in multiple change order requests.

“This park should’ve been ready to go,” Ray said. “We keep on kicking this down the road, [and] we are compounding our costs to multiple entities ... It’s a frustration for me.”

Mayor Pro Tem Amy Bartley said in her discussions about the project on the capital improvement project subcommittee that she did not remember the well taking this long.

“I still think we need to do the well because over time it pays for itself, but this was not my understanding of the timeline,” Bartley said.

Looking ahead

The park’s pickleball and tennis courts are projected to open in late November. Additionally, the park is expected to be substantially completed by early December, excluding the well.

If town officials move forward with the well, that portion of the project would be completed by summer 2026, according to town documents.