The final plans for the MAPS 3 ‘Central Park’ implementation have not been set, at least, that is what these statements from a recent Gazette article lead me to believe.

Asst. City Manager Cathy O’Connor on the park:

Assistant City Manager Cathy O’Connor said the total estimated price tag to the city is $130 million for the parks portions of the “Core to Shore” project.

“It is still a concept plan. It isn’t the final version of the plan — that won’t be done until after the election, if the election is successful,” O’Connor said. “Then we’ll have a much better idea of what everything’s really going to cost.”

And Planning Director Russell Claus:

“these amenities and the associated numbers are extremely conjectural. (This is) based on a very preliminary evaluation of the possible content and functions of the park,” he said.“As such, inclusion of all amenities mentioned, estimates on size and other numbers cited are subject to significant change before they are finalized — a process which will not happen until after a successful vote.”

I trust both O’Connor and Claus when they say the plans are not completely final, but I hesitate to get my hopes up that the average Oklahoma City resident will have any role to play in the finalization of such plans.  Over $500,000 has already been paid to Hargreaves & Associates to formulate the existing Central Park plan (see Council items – 8/4 9/29).  The latest fee addition added $24,000 for the consultant to help “educate” the public, as stated in the September 29 Council Agenda:

Public education for MAPS 3 has been deemed to be of critical importance for this project and, therefore, it is in the best interest of the Trust to direct the Landscape Architect to prepare and provide project presentations to various City stakeholders and officials.

Educating and engaging are two very different things.

ASIDE

Even while the consultant’s fees continue to climb, the estimated price of the Central Park has been falling, from the $154 million estimate, stated in both the June 16th and August 4th Council agendas, to the $130 million estimate released on September 29th and now widely publicized.  September 29th was also the day that MAPS 3 was announced by the City Council and the final MAPS 3 project list and budget estimates were released.  If all of the project estimates have undergone such whittling, the 2% contingency may be even thinner than initially suspected.