'Prohibitive' Cost Puts Central Ave. Beach Stairs on Hold

City and Park District officials met on Saturday, March 15 to discuss the status of the proposed jointly funded replacement of the stairs connecting Central Park and Park Avenue Beach. Following a thorough review of the project specifications, the construction challenges, and the increase in necessary funding, both agencies agreed that the staircase construction is cost prohibitive at this time.

Structural failure of the original staircase due to a bluff collapse in 2009 prompted consideration of the staircase replacement. Since the stairs were owned by the Park District and constructed on City property, a Memorandum of Understanding was drafted and signed by both agencies in April 2013 that outlined an equal cost share of the stair replacement within a budget-based total project cost cap. 

That cap was exceeded by the most recent project estimate provided by architectural and engineering design firm SmithGroupJJR. The price tag for a walk up and down the bluff at the preferred staircase location came in at $1.3 million; considerably higher than earlier estimates and joint budget allocations. A second option of building the staircase at the north end of Central Park, traversing the ravine, and connecting with Park Avenue did not garner support.

Reasons cited for the high construction costs include the necessary footing depths, three times deeper than those of the failed structure, and the cost of long-lasting construction materials - both critical design components.

"As stewards of our community, we elected officials must be willing to acknowledge that where, as here, our prior decisions are overtaken by subsequent events, and more information becomes available to us, we owe it to our constituents to revisit and rethink those prior decisions in light of the changed circumstances," stated Park Board President Scott Meyers.

Mayor Nancy Rotering commended the City Council and Park Board for the intergovernmental collaboration and for exhausting every effort to build the stairs within the budget guidelines.

“The City has other capital priorities such as extensive road repairs necessitated by the severe winter.  We must balance needs versus wants,” noted Mayor Rotering.

All members of the Park Board and City Council agreed that defraying the cost of the project by securing a grant or a public/private partnership would be the best course of action at this time. Accordingly, Park District and City staff has been directed to seek alternative funding opportunities.