Bradenton council approves $14.7 million guaranteed maximum price for City Park phase one

Bradenton City Council voted unanimously April 8 to authorize a partial guaranteed maximum price of about $14.7 million to begin construction of phase one of City Park, a project that will include a competition‑grade turf baseball field, relocation of underground stormwater infrastructure, walkways, shade structures and game‑day support features.

City staff described the GMP as covering the hard‑construction work for the field and related site work; soft costs such as bonds, insurance and other fees are separate. “This GMP represents about 14.7 million in hard construction costs,” Mr. Perry said during the presentation, adding the city expects to value‑engineer portions of the scope to reduce that figure.

The city said much of the project funding is already committed by outside partners, including county funds, state allocations and federal assistance secured via the office of U.S. Rep. Buchanan. Staff described the work as a roughly one‑year construction period for phase one and emphasized stormwater relocation will be a significant component because underground conveyance under the site must be shifted to allow the field construction.

Councilmember Coachman moved to approve the GMP and Councilmember Barnaby seconded; the motion carried on a roll‑call vote of 5‑0. Council members emphasized the project’s economic and community benefits, noting partnerships with local sports operations and expectations for regional tournaments and youth programming.

With the GMP approved, staff will proceed with contracted construction management‑at‑risk services and detailed preconstruction work, including continued value engineering and finalization of soft costs. The council did not alter the GMP figure at the meeting; further budget and schedule details will be provided as the contract documents are finalized.