Crews are set to begin building a splash pad at Homesteader Park later this month, with plans to complete the project by mid-May 2025.

Last week, the Powell City Council selected a Mills-based company to construct the new water features. Crown Construction submitted a low bid of $497,779.70 to win the job.

“We’ve been looking forward to this for a while,” City Administrator Zack Thorington said at the council’s Aug. 5 meeting.

City leaders have been planning to add a splash pad to Homesteader Park since closing (and then removing) the “froggy pond” wading pool in 2017. Powell’s plans got a big boost last year, when the state awarded the city $250,000 from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The initial hope was to keep the total cost at $500,000, but with $45,000 already committed to the engineering work, the city is set to go over that budget.

Thorington said the council could eliminate a water feature or two from the plans to save some money. However, Civil Engineering Professionals, Inc. (CEPI) of Casper designed the splash pad with the intent of getting the city the best “bang for our buck,” Thorington said, so, “we don’t really want to cut.”

He added that the city has “plenty in reserves” that could be used to make up the deficit.

The council was fully on board with proceeding, with members indicating they’ll support a budget amendment to cover the roughly $43,000 overage.

“I think it’s a good bid, and I think it should go forward,” said Councilman Zane Logan.

Mayor John Wetzel added that the council “wants this project done right.”

Thorington said Crown Construction has experience building splash pads, including one that it built with CEPI in Bar Nunn. Powell’s pad will have a froggy theme, meant as a kind of homage to the wading pool it’s replacing.

CEPI estimated that construction would cost $500,000 and recommended the city award the contract to Crown Construction. The Mills company beat out a $538,865 offer from Georgia-based USA Pools Construction. Crown
Construction was the only general contractor to attend a pre-bid meeting and take a tour of the site last month.

Under the terms of the contract, Crown Construction’s work must be substantially completed by May 1 and ready for final payment by May 15.

“They want to get on it right away,” Thorington said.

He expects to see crews mobilized by the end of the month. Thorington’s understanding is that the company intends to effectively complete the work before winter sets in, then fire up and test the equipment next spring when the weather allows.

The site is located just east of the Powell Aquatic Center, across from the Homesteader Park playground. A gaga ball pit that was temporarily installed in the area in 2022 as an Eagle Scout project has been removed in preparation for construction.