Council Agrees on Discovery Center Garage Design, Awards Bid

After about six months of discussion, Oakdale City Council members settled on a design for a garage at the at their meeting Tuesday, April 10.

The council approved its latest design for the building, which would have one corner cut out, and two walls added to create more dimension than what a strictly rectangular building would have.

“My concern previously had been with a big square building it would look like a garage,” said council member Lori Pulkrabek. “This will go a long way toward getting away from that garage-like appearance.”

Because of the location of the new garage, just east of the on the site of the former Oakdale Nature Center, council members previously said they were concerned that the large garage might detract from the city’s premier park building.

The council unanimously supported the new design, which will cost about $104,223 to construct, according to a staff report on the project. A square, 44-by-45 foot building would have cost about $500 less, and a 40-by-40 foot building would have cost about $11,400 less, the report says.

Most of the money for the project—$100,000—is coming from parks capital improvement project funds, however about $2,000 is coming from the park operating budget, and another $2,000 from the engineering operating budget, the report says.

The council awarded the construction contracts to Markfort Concrete, Lawrence Drywalll and Keller Electric.