GREENVILLE, Miss. (AP) - A preliminary design for work at Greenville’s Schelben Park is $68,000 over budget.
The City of Greenville has approved $175,000 for the renovation.
The money is coming from a one-time payment from Trop Casino Greenville as part of an agreement reached last year allowing the casino to expand its facilities and take over nearly half of the park for additional parking.
William Mills, a partner in New Albany-based Mills & Mills Architects PC, says the project as proposed was expected to cost $243,100.
The Delta Democrat-Times reports (https://bit.ly/YeQrkG ) Mayor John Cox told Mills to revisit the plan, saying, “we’re going to have to keep (the total cost) within $175,000.”
Mills says his firm can remove certain amenities as well as a buffer for potential construction cost overruns. He says $55,000 could be saved by cutting out some benches, lighting and bike racks.
The council’s property commission met Wednesday to further review the plan before giving the full city council its recommendation later this month.
The park at Lake Ferguson dates to the late 1950s and is named for former Mayor Fred Schelben, who served from 1928 to 1932. The park was paid for with proceeds from a trust fund Schelben established before his death in 1957 “for … health, recreational and charitable purposes within Washington County.”
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Information from: Delta Democrat-Times, https://www.ddtonline.com
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