The planting of perennials and laying of sod at Bloomington’s new Switchyard Park was not expected to be done until spring. So it’s not surprising to see that kind of work in progress over the last few weeks.

But at their Thursday meeting, Bloomington’s redevelopment commission (RDC) members were told that more substantial work on Switchyard Park, beyond landscaping, was still not complete.

Examples of still unfinished work include a playground and pathways, according to the city’s operations director for the parks department, Dave Williams. He added that a “fairly sizable punch list” remains for facilities like the pavilion, the splash-pad building, and the police department substation building.

About the substation building, which is already being used by the police department, Williams said, “They are in business. But we are behind schedule.”

So the city now is pushing Weddle Brothers Construction to finish the whole project by May 24. The city is applying pressure with a clause in the construction contract that provides payment of $2,000 per day in liquidated damages to the city for a deadline last year that’s already been missed.

Calculated from Nov. 15 last year to the end of March this year, the damages add up to $274,000. That’s how much Bloomington believes Weddle Brothers Construction owes the city under the damage clause. And the clock continues to tick on that amount, from the city’s point of view. Continue reading “Bloomington pushing contractor to complete Switchyard Park by May 24, OKs $230K for more inspection services by design firm” →