By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The City of Great Bend is planning on accepting bids for a large improvement project at Brit Spaugh Park on Jan. 25. The project includes a basketball court, four pickleball courts, two mini soccer pitches, playground and a restroom facility on the south side of the park.
Great Bend Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns said he expects bid proposals to be returned by late February for the project that includes lighting and fencing.
"In between the courts, there will be covered bleachers on both sides," said Burns. "If we had a tournament, people would be able to sit and watch that. Farther to the north, there will be food truck parking on the east. A cover area will be there so people can order and sit with some picnic tables. There will be a power unit there that these food trucks can plug into."
While the Brit Spaugh Park project will be partly funded through the .15% quality of life sales tax and financial assistance has been pledged by the Great Bend Recreation Commission and Harms Trust, City Administrator Brandon Anderson said outside funding will be needed for the estimated $2.1 million improvements if the city wants to complete the project sooner rather than later.
"This is a really exciting project, but unfortunately like a lot of other projects, right now it's coming in higher than we anticipated," said Anderson. "As we take that quality of life money and try to continue to do the projects we're working on, we may not be able to tackle this one quite as quickly as we'd like to unless we're able to reach out and find assistance with it."
The horseshoe pits will be relocated to the north of the Kansas National Guard Armory.
The quality of life sales tax is expected to generate $635,000 in the 2024 budget.