Metroparks begins work on second section of Glass City

To advance the second phase of Glass City Park in east Toledo, the Metroparks commissioners approved a construction manager at-risk services procurement method and amendment of construction services.

At the May 26 meeting, Jon Zvanovec, Metroparks project manager, said that approving the construction contractor procurement method and signatory authority will allow the Glass City Riverwalk BUILD grant project to move forward.

“It’s our project, we just have to play by their rules,” he explained.

The board also amended the construction manager atrisk services contract with the Lathrop Company for Glass City phase two services not to exceed $7.86 million.

The second phase is broken down into three segments, the first of which entails earthwork and site utilities; dredge material import, soil undercutting, tunnel stabilization; boardwalk steel piles; concrete abutments; steel fabrication and erection; wood framing and decking; glass handrail, and steel joist and deck materials for Market Hall and the ice building.

Rising construction costs prompted Metroparks officials to advance the project. “With construction materials increasing, we are getting out ahead of this as best we can,” said Scott Savage, board president.

Emily Ziegler, park planning and capital development supervisor, provided an overview of plans for park development, which includes restoring 80 percent of the area to natural environment with 20 percent being a built environment.

More than 10 acres will be reforested to native woodland at a rate of 500 trees per acre. “That’s over 7,500 trees being planted,” she said.

An additional 15 acres will be restored as meadowland, “providing much needed habitat opportunities and achieving targeted biodiversity goals,” Ms. Ziegler explained.

Environmental stewardship and sustainable design are at the forefront and will help ensure ecosystem resiliency for decades to come, she noted.

Building plans include construction of Market Hall and an ice skating area. “Market Hall will be the biggest hub of activity,” she said.

Open year round, the 9,000-square-foot facility is designed to bring the outdoors inside with a large bank of windows overlooking the skating area. Seating will be available inside and outside the complex that will house a skate rental area.

Outside, plans call for development of an 18,000- square-foot skating surface ice ribbon and skating pond. “It will be a refrigerated ice pond–the only one of its kind I’m aware of in the country,” she said.

There will be fire pits and warming stations in the plaza plus lighting and music for evening skating. Six cabanas will be built with individual fire pits, accommodating up to six people.

For younger children, several discovery play areas–each with their own focus–will be constructed.

Discovery Water will have a variety of water features to explore. In Discovery Adventure, a woodland play node will feature a boardwalk leading to a pair of towers designed to represent wings. Inside the towers will be climbing and other activities.

Another section of Discovery Adventure will offer prairie and pollinator play nodes where children can explore the natural environment.

“Designing the playgrounds was one of my favorite things,” Ms. Ziegler acknowledged.

Metroparks’ goal is to have the project substantially complete by December 2022 with final work in January 2023.

Other Business

In other business, the park commissioners:

•Awarded construction of an Otsego Road river access point to Vernon Nagel of Napoleon for $248,300. The company will extend by 650 feet Otsego Road from the existing towpath to the edge of the Maumee River in Grand Rapids.

The access road will be 12 feet wide and feature a turnaround and two-stall parking area. They anticipate completion by September 30.

•Authorized Allen Gallant, director of community development, to apply for an Ohio Department of Natural Resources NatureWorks program grant for $146,683. The funds, which require a 25 percent park district match, would go toward construction of a shelter, basketball court expansion and other improvements at Manhattan Marsh Preserve in Toledo.

•Amended the certificate of estimated resources and appropriations to reflect increased appropriations for reforestation, berm construction and flood prevention at Secor Park’s expansion area and capital construction. The additional costs bring the total appropriations to $50.58 million.

•Paid bills for April of $3.1 million.

The next park board meeting will be at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 23, at Roche de Bout shelterhouse, Farnsworth Park, 8505 South River Road, Waterville, and is open to the public.