It’s long overdue and way over budget, but South Bend leaders say they’re almost finished with a dramatic facelift to a downtown riverfront park.
It was supposed to be ready by now. The city had planned to finish a dramatic overhaul of Seitz Park, on a peninsula between the St. Joseph River and the East Race, in August 2023.
But on Tuesday the city’s Board of Public Works will consider a 10th request for more money from its contractor, Ziolkowski Construction.
The project cost now exceeds $10.2 million, a 43% increase from its initial contract. City and county leaders typically get alarmed if a project runs more than 20% over budget.
City Public Works Director Eric Horvath says the project first was delayed about a year by the University of Notre Dame’s project to produce hydroelectric power from the nearby dam. But even longer delays came when contractors discovered holes in the stone and concrete retaining walls caused by more than a century of swiftly moving river.
The new Seitz Park will have a building for concessions, restrooms and ticketing for events like the East Race Concert Series. The River Walk has been raised to eliminate flooding. There’s still some paving work left.
Horvath says there will be a soft opening this fall for people to use the park but the city will wait until the Spring for a ribbon-cutting event.
Horvath also says,"It's been a challenging project, there's no doubt. Once we open it up and people see, this is really one of our premiere parks. You'll have no better vision of the river that on this park where you've got, you know, the view of the dam and the river lights. It's just going to be a really awesome addition to our park system."
