The Missouri City City Council voted 6-1 during its April 18 meeting for the city to execute a $342,990 design contract with engineering and architectural firm Halff Associates, which has led discussions with the city’s Freedom Tree Committee since 2020 to develop a conceptual design, according to agenda documents.
The sole dissenting vote came from Council Member Vashaundra Edwards, who raised concerns about the cost of the design services contract.
“Just having this much money for design, is there a reason why we didn’t go with anyone else?” Edwards asked during the meeting.
According to Jason Mangum, the city’s director of parks and recreation, the total cost of designing and implementing the project is actually $3.16 million, with the Halff Associates' design cost in line with similar projects.
“This is actually about 10% of the total cost of the project, which is actually a very reasonable amount,” Mangum said during the meeting. “Usually, you’ll find it between 10%-20%, and so with the nature of this project, this is on the lower end of that.”
The contract will pay for several services, including the initial site investigation and base map preparation, permitting, bidding, geotechnical work and construction observation, according to agenda documents.
Another concern that Edwards raised was the potential cost for design revisions or changes that were not reflected in the proposal, though Mangum maintained that the city does not foresee any significant changes.
“We’ve done a lot of legwork on this project and involved the community every step of the way, so we’re fairly confident that we’re not going to have a lot of changes, if any, on the design of this project,” he said.
A list of amenities that are planned to be added to the park include a gathering space and entry feature to the Freedom Tree, a vegetated buffer, a stage, an area for public art, pergolas and playgrounds.
Construction, meanwhile, is anticipated to span from early 2023-early 2024, Mangum said.
