Proposed massive overhaul of Finlay Park could cost $19.5-plus million

A massive overhaul to Columbia’s central Finlay Park could cost some $19.5 million or more, a consultant Tuesday told City Council at its afternoon work session.

Mark Johnson of Denver-based Civitas Inc. told City Council the work could be done in stages so city officials would not have to come up with all the money at one time. Civitas is a group of urban designers, landscape architects and architects.

Such a price tag – about $1.3 million per acre – would ensure high quality construction but would not create an overly fancy park, Johnson told council. The price per acre figure is in line with what is being spent on other urban parks around the country, he said.

City officials took no action and characterized Johnson’s presentation as a starting point for an ongoing public conversation about the park’s future. Finlay Park is one of the city’s biggest potential jewels, but many residents shun the area because of safety and other concerns. City officials said council will have to weigh Finlay Park’s needs with those of other upcoming city projects.

In his presentation, Johnson addressed three major aspects of the park he stressed need to be upgraded for the park to become a major city attraction. These upgrades would focus on the beauty of the park, its safety and the ease of getting around in the park and its overall usefulness.

When built some 25 years ago, the park was constructed on a landfill and many of its features were built with an emphasis on cutting costs, Johnson said. Today, those aging, inexpensive features keep people away, he said.

Most issues needing upgrades “go to the original design and construction of the park,” he said.

For example, the pond in the middle of the park is leaking and has water quality problems. Any rehabilitation of the pond would involve new linings, a new design and possibly an adjusted site, he indicated. Any new pond should also have a pedestrian bridge because as the pond is now, it effectively cuts the park in half and makes it difficult to get from one area of the park to another, Johnson said.

Johnson also gave city council his estimates of how much a new and upgraded Finlay Park would cost annually – some $850,000 in future projected operating expenses compared with $250,000 now.

This story was originally published February 10, 2015 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Proposed massive overhaul of Finlay Park could cost $19.5-plus million."