Work can begin as planned for the Fort Thomas Independent School District’s athletic complex renovation project in Tower Park.
The Fort Thomas City Council voted to approve a memorandum of agreement Monday allowing the district to move forward with its project to renovate the soccer field and track in Tower Park. The project would also include constructing a new restroom facility and improved parking and access to the athletic complex.
Both the school district and the city each own part of the land on which the renovated facility would sit. The plan is for the two entities to work together and “swap” the necessary parcels to give the schools full control over the facility and allow the city to have access to areas and roads surrounding the complex.
The memorandum of agreement outlines how the city and schools will proceed with the project. The project can begin using the schools’ preliminary site plan while leaving current property ownership in place. Once a final site plan is set and construction is complete, the city and schools will swap the necessary parcels.
“We were going to change the plat ahead of time, but we all know how construction goes. There might be other changes along the way,” said City Administrator Matt Kremer. “I don’t want to set it now before construction and then have an issue later. I want this to be completely accurate for decades moving forward.”
The amount of land to be exchanged is about equal, Kremer said, but he has asked the schools to give the city the smaller South Park soccer field as a gesture of good faith. The field is located near the reserve motor pool in the park.
The city has also agreed to contribute $517,000 toward the project. While some of the money will go toward necessary road work, Kremer said the funds support this as a communitywide project that will benefit all residents.
Kremer met with residents of the nearby Sergeant neighborhood to discuss and address some of the residents’ concerns and said he has some ideas to provide that neighborhood with a potential pocket park and other improvements once the project is nearing completion.
The school district approved the agreement earlier this month. City council voted unanimously to approve it as well. Next, the city and district will hold a joint meeting, open to the public, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. in the city building at 130 N. Fort Thomas Ave.