Bowie officials approved a $2 million bid proposal Tuesday night for architecture and design services for the long-planned indoor sports facility.
By a 4-2 vote, the city council approved the staff's recommendation of Hughes Group Architects of Germantown for the project. Council member Henri Gardner was absent from the meeting.
Bowie officials approved a $2 million bid proposal Tuesday night for architecture and design services for the long-planned indoor sports facility.
By a 4-2 vote, the city council approved the staff's recommendation of Hughes Group Architects of Germantown for the project. Council member Henri Gardner was absent from the meeting.
Council members Michael Esteve and Isaac Trouth cast the dissenting votes on the resolution, voicing their concerns about the project's cost.
"My chief concern is we're pushing forward on the most expensive single project in the city's history at a time when we're facing budget deficits, and it's not a project most residents want," said Esteve. "Our police chief told us we may need to hire more officers down the road. Our finance director told us we may need to raise taxes … Our constituents vocally reminded us, as they have been for months, that they can't afford new tax increases. But a majority on the council is pushing forward anyway."
In a memo to city officials, City Manager Alfred Lott indicated the original $20.3 million estimate for the project would have to be adjusted because of "construction cost escalation." Further, site development for the project will also be more than expected, meaning that the actual cost for the project is likely to be closer to $25 million.
Construction of the facility, which will sit on about 20 acres just northeast of where Church Road crosses Route 50, is expected to begin in FY 2019, according to Lott. Construction is projected to take 12-18 months to complete.
The council began discussing a new indoor sports facility about five years ago after the city's recreation master plan noted the need for more recreational space in Bowie, which has grown to more than 55,000 residents.
An independent assessment by a recreation consulting firm confirmed the need for additional basketball and volleyball courts, as well as a new ice rink. Space is at a premium at the Bowie City Gymnasium, and demand for open court time (and open ice time) is great.
Additionally, the 46-year-old Bowie Ice Arena requires constant attention and maintenance, expenses that would be eliminated with a new facility. The new facility will feature a pair of ice surfaces.
The price tag makes the facility the most expensive capital project in the city's history. The new City Hall, which was completed in 2011, cost an estimated $22.6 million.
In other action Tuesday night:
Four new city police officers were sworn in during the meeting, bringing the number of officers on the force to 61. The department remains four officers short of capacity, though, even with the additions.
Also, five officers are currently unavailable for duty because of injury or administrative leave. So far, the reduced ranks haven't been a problem, according to Police Chief John Nesky.
"It's not ideal, but the officers have stepped up and we're working with what we have," he said. "It's been challenging, but our people have responded to the challenge and we're getting the job done."
One of the big problems the city faces in recruiting officers is a lack of qualified candidates. In many places, tensions between citizens and police officers are high, following highly publicized incidents involving clashes between the two groups in places like Ferguson, Missouri.
The suspicion that potential police officers encounter during the course of carrying out their daily duties is helping to shrink the pool of potential candidates. Nesky pointed out the last three officers to leave the Bowie force also left the law enforcement profession.
"It's a very challenging time in law enforcement," he said. "Law enforcement is on the hot seat right now. It gives people pause … We're seeing that nationwide. It's hard to recruit."
