Auburndale Accepts Bid For Work On Park Site

AUBURNDALE | The city is one step closer to becoming a sports mecca.

City commissioners unanimously accepted a $756,262 bid from Winter Haven-based Total Construction Services for grading and site work for the expansion of Lake Myrtle Park during a special meeting Wednesday afternoon.

"The unanimous vote accepted the staff's recommendation to award to the lowest bidder, Total Construction," City Manager Bobby Green said.

The bid allows for spending nearly $94,000 more, which would bring the total to $850,000, if any additional site work is needed.

Green expects the site work and grading to begin during the first week of August.

Bidding the site work and grading separately from the facility construction allowed the city to begin work on the project sooner.

Because facilities are still in the design stage, these will be bid at a later date, probably in August.

When completed, the 250-acre park on Berkley Road will include eight soccer fields, including an international-size stadium with 1,500 seats and nine baseball fields, including a stadium for collegiate tournaments.

It will also house offices for the Florida Youth Soccer Association, Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

"The whole game plan is to play ball in March," Green said, adding that grass and turf will be put in during November. "There are a lot of things we have to do to make sure we are ready when they yell, 'Play Ball!' "

Green said all construction costs for the project will be paid with $15 million allocated by the county through the tourism tax, with $9 million earmarked for the baseball facility and $6 million for the soccer facility.

"It's a joint effort between the city and the county to build the facility and to bring these teams to Polk County and Auburndale resulting in economic development," Green said.

These bids were received for the site work and grading:

Total Construction, Winter Haven, $756,262.

C.W. Roberts, Wildwood, $934,362.

Swell Construction, Oviedo, $999,805.

Mid State Paving, Auburndale, $1.07 million.

Con Sur, Eagle Lake, $1.09 million.

QGS Development, Lithia, $1.11 million.

Kearney Construction, Tampa, $1.27 million.

Phillips and Jordan, Inc, Zephyrhills, $1.48 million.

Cook Construction, Inc., Plant City, $1.49 million.

FTD Construction, Lakeland, $1.83 million.

Bul-Hed Corp., Bartow, $1.87 million.

McCarthy General Contractor, Auburndale, $2.21 million.