The City Council approved a letter of agreement with BKL Inc. for a structural evaluation and design recommendation to determine if the Civitan Park shade canopy structure could be retrofitted with a hard top.
The Civitan Park shade structure, originally constructed with a fabric top, was donated by the Civitan nonprofit group and is owned and maintained by the City. The fabric shade canopy has been damaged and replaced twice since 2019 — once due to ice accumulation damage, and then, more recently, due to wind damage in May.
Director of Engineering Micah Siemers asked the Council to approve the agreement with BKL so the City could investigate whether or not the structure could be modified to support a solid roof rather than the fabric.
“The manufacturer will not provide any recommendations since it was not designed to carry a solid roof,” Siemers said. “A structural analysis by a licensed structural engineer is required to determine if it is feasible and provide a recommendation to retrofit the structure. The intent is to verify feasibility and get a design that can be bid at a later date.”
The City has already ordered a replacement fabric canopy, which will be installed when it arrives later this fall. However, Siemers said the metal roof option could be planned in a future fiscal year capital budget or capital election.
The Council approved the agreement with BKL in the amount of $11,879 using unallocated sales tax capital funds. The City previously contracted with BKL for a structural evaluation of the Goff Play Tower at Sooner Park and recent park parking lot design, and is currently under contract with BKL for the Downtown Landscaping Phase 3 design.