A long-delayed waterfront improvement at Bay View Park is now officially complete. The Alpena Municipal Council unanimously approved a final balancing change order on Aug. 24, bringing the Bay View Restroom and Pavilion Project to a revised contract total of $900,788.38 and authorizing the city to close out the construction contract.
The final adjustment, Change Order No. 3, increased the previous contract amount of $887,242.81 by $13,545.57. City Engineer Steve Shultz told council members that construction was finished and final quantities had been calculated. The action also authorized City Manager Rachel Smolinski, Clerk-Treasurer Anna Soik and Shultz to execute the document.
Project finishes below grant budget
The contractor, Meridian Contracting Services LLC of Alpena, submitted a detailed July 30 balancing sheet. It listed $13,511 in reductions and $27,056.57 in additions, producing the net increase approved by council.
Despite the adjustment, the completed project remains below the $912,200 total included in the grant agreement. Shultz said the city finished under the grant budget and has already submitted paperwork for reimbursement, with payment expected soon.
“With the Bay View Park Restroom Project completed, the final quantities are calculated, and all the final additions and reductions can be entered into the balancing recommendation,” Shultz wrote in an Aug. 20 memorandum to the mayor and council.
The city had set aside about $700,000 of its own money for the work but now expects to need roughly $600,788, according to Shultz. The remaining funds could help address other needs, including work on City Hall windows. The final project total is about $11,400 below the amount presented in the original grant agreement.
Earlier changes and years of planning
The latest change order follows larger adjustments earlier in the project. In June, council approved a $47,500 change order covering unsuitable soils, a sand subbase, relocation of a water service connected to the Kiwanis Kiddie Park fountain and resurfacing of the adjacent Prentiss Street parking lot. An earlier soil-remediation increase in late 2025 added more than $37,500.
Council awarded Meridian the contract in October 2024 after the city received one bid from 21 firms it solicited. Meridian’s bid was $805,200, below the city’s $812,000 estimate. The company had previously built restroom facilities at Starlite Beach and the Woodward Avenue trailhead, and the Bay View design was intended to match those buildings.
A $300,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant awarded in 2021 is covering part of the project. The city is matching the remainder with American Rescue Plan Act funds.
New amenity for Bay View events
The new building replaces the city’s former reliance on portable toilets near the bandshell, Kiwanis Kiddie Park and Municipal Small Boat Harbor. A deteriorating Harbor Drive restroom had been closed and later demolished, while officials said a modern, accessible family restroom, pavilion-style roof, sidewalks and lighting were needed for concerts, festivals and Fourth of July crowds.
The facility is north of the kiddie-park parking lot on Prentiss Street. Bay View Park also includes the bandshell, playground, harbor, shoreline and nearby Bay View Sportsplex courts. Officials expect the permanent facility to reduce the need for rented portable toilets and support events drawing residents and visitors to Alpena’s Lake Huron waterfront.
The council’s vote authorizes final payment and closes the construction contract. Grant reimbursement remains pending.