Shawnee mayor supports northside property for park
Funding Grants, bond issue vote are possibilities

BY ANN KELLEY

Published: October 9, 2008

SHAWNEE — City-owned property at the northern edge of Shawnee is the best location for a long-planned regional park and sports complex, Mayor Chuck Mills said.

At a city commission meeting Monday, Mills said all resources for another site have been exhausted, and it appears the site for the complex in northern Shawnee — first proposed in 2004 — is their best option.

"We have made a full circle and we are back to square one,” Mills said.

Fellow commissioners did not comment on whether they support Mills’ proposal to build the park at Hazel Del Road and Kickapoo, land formerly used for a city airport. Mills said he would put the proposal on the council’s Oct. 20 meeting agenda for consideration.

When Mills took office in 2004, he was at the forefront of stalled construction of the sports complex. Commissioners decided then to steer away from the north Shawnee site and look for a location that would be more accessible for children to walk or ride their bicycles to.

Since that time, city officials have debated several options for a park location.

Mills announced earlier this year that Grant Dockery of Shawnee expressed interest in donating land near Shawnee Mall at Kickapoo and Interstate 40. That deal has fallen through, he said.

In 2006, officials considered acquiring land owned by the State School Land Commission near the mall, but the land was deemed too expensive.

City Engineer John Krywicki said commissioners, before 2004, had approved Hornbeck Larson Blatt Architects to develop plans for the old airport property.

The first phase of the project was estimated to cost more than $2 million, but since then construction expenses have nearly doubled, Krywicki said. Phase one included six soccer fields, parking and infrastructure.

The city had $1 million earmarked from a 1999 bond issue to start the park. About $888,000 remains, and no other money has been put aside for the project, Krywicki said. A portion of the money has been spent on design fees.

Mills mentioned the city has the potential to obtain $200,000 to $500,000 in grants for the park. He said voters also could be asked to approve a bond issue.

Commissioner Tom Schrzan said it was a shame the money has been unused in an account for eight years: It could have gone to repair the municipal pool or been invested in smaller parks.

Comments