Capaha Park pond to be dredged after yearslong delay

For the first time in decades, significant upgrades are on the way for the pond in Capaha Park.

Cape Girardeau City Council approved an agreement with a Perryville, Missouri-based contractor Monday night to dredge the pond — an action that's been years in the making.

Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to drain and upgrade the pond in 2020. The project was originally scheduled to start in spring or early summer that year.

However, the pandemic introduced a variety of setbacks, from soaring material costs to staff shortages. The MDC postponed all grant projects.

City staff opened the project up for bids in October but received none. The project was rebid last month and the city accepted the lowest, a $1,992,771 bid by Zoellner Construction Co. Inc.

Brock Davis, parks division manager for the City of Cape Girardeau, said the contractor may begin work as early as June 1.

The pond at Capaha Park is in need of long-term maintenance and improvement after years of sediment build up, according to Davis.

The pond was once 15-feet deep. Now, its depth reaches around 5 to 7 feet. Dredging the pond will bring it back to its original depth and improve fish habitats. The bottom of the pond will be redesigned to create two deep pools for fish.

Improvements also consist of installing vegetation, planters, rocks and spawning beds, as well as construction of two sediment forebays and storm sewer pipe.

The pond usually houses bluegill and catfish during the summer, according to Davis. This project will allow for more opportunities.

"Once the pond gets full and stabilized, we would like to do a trout program in the winter like Jackson and Perryville," Davis said.

On Monday, Council approved an agreement with MDC to fund up to $547,240 of expenditures related to improving fishing access and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Improvements to the area surrounding the pond will follow after the pond is dredged. New lighting will be added and the concrete sidewalk surrounding the pond will be replaced.

Funding

Zoellner Construction's bid was nearly $600,000 over the city's base bid estimate of $1,411,078. The second of two bids was $3,668,685.

An agenda report written by Public Works director Stan Polivick stated staff are open to do value engineering with Zoellner to compensate for the higher cost.

"It is believed the higher than anticipated bids are due to material cost increases and several months going by between when the original engineer's estimate was computed to when the project was bid for a second time," Polivick wrote.

The Capaha Park Pond Dredging Project is one of several projects under the Parks and Recreation and Stormwater Phase 2 (PRS2) tax renewal initiative. Voters approved the tax in 2019, with projects funded by the tax to be spread out over 15 years.

Council approved an agreement with a contractor for another project under PRS2 on Monday night. The Penny-Capaha Drainage Improvement Project will bring various stormwater and sewer improvements near the intersection of Broadway and Penny Avenue.

See coverage of this project online Wednesday or in the Southeast Missourian's Wednesday e-edition.