The Bryte Park Master Plan Overview shows the renovations proposed for the park in the city’s north end. The $64.36-million project will take three years to build out and will be partly paid for through a loan from the state’s iBank. Graphic courtesy of Verde Design /City of West Sacramento.

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – West Sacramento City Council members at their Aug. 6 meeting looked at the city’s latest park renovation project, a more than $64.36-million makeover of Bryte Park just south of the Sacramento River in West Sacramento’s north end.

It’s a project that, according to council and public members who spoke at the meeting, is needed in an area some say has been overlooked when it comes to city amenities and infrastructure construction.

“It’s long overdue,” said Councilwoman Norma Alcala, who represents that area, District 1.

The park master plan spells out renovations to existing features along with new amenities, the biggest of which is an aquatic center with a six-lane lap pool, zero entry wading pool, shaded spectator areas and a building with rooms that can be rented to the public.

Also in the plan is a 75-seat terraced amphitheater, splash pad with a river theme, picnic shelter, outdoor classroom, concessions building, additional basketball courts, handball court, ballfields that accommodate youth through adult baseball and softball, natural and synthetic turf sports fields and improved lighting and parking.

“We’re excited about the infrastructure,” Parks and Recreation Department Director Kate Smith said. “Our youth and adult athletes are going to be very happy.”

One of the challenges with Bryte Park renovations is paying for it. Adding an estimated $2.2 million in land acquisition by the city from the Washington Unified School District for the park to the more than $62.12 million in design and construction costs brings the project to almost $64.36 million.

The city has resources to cover $27.5 million, including a $15-million federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant. Verde Design, the firm which the city hired for almost $2.9 million in 2023 for design, environmental review and project management on the park, tabbed construction costs at $49.2 million.

Director of Capital Projects Jai Chahal told council to add an additional $12.9 million into the equation. These “soft costs” include staff time, special inspections, permit fees, 10% for construction contingencies and 5% price- escalation costs bring the total for entire park buildout to more than $64.3 million.

“We do have some safety factors built into that,” Chahal said of the soft costs and other factors.

The park buildout costs minus the $27.5 million in current funding leaves a project funding gap of $36.8 million.

Smith presented council with three options for the park: option one, recommended by staff, to build the park as presented; option two to phase in construction of the ball fields which would reduce the funding gap to $31 million; and option three to phase in construction of the aquatic center, which would reduce the gap to $31.5 million.

Option three, however, would also reduce the total funding by removing the $2.2 million for land acquisition and significant downsizing, if not complete removal, of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant, which is contingent upon the city building the aquatic center. The option would reduce the total park construction cost to $44 million, but with the loss of the grant and other sources it would also reduce the current funding to just $12.5 million, leaving a gap of $31.5 million.

Smith said discussions with officials at California State Parks indicated reducing the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant could also make the city ineligible for future grants. She added that the city is pursuing grants for other park projects.

To fund the gap, staff are proposing to borrow $40 million from the state iBank’s tax-exempt bond infrastructure funding program. At today’s interest rates, the loan would require an estimated annual repayment of $2.6 million over 30 years, an amount proposed to be covered by pausing the $1 million in Measure N funds used for the Small Business Accelerator program and $1.6 million in Measure O funds previously proposed for public safety costs.

“Of course, that amount is going to depend on the interest rates at the time we do the borrowing,” Finance Director Roberta Raper said.

Approved by voters in 2018, Measure N implemented a one-quarter transaction and use tax that has funded several projects, including the Bryte Park Master Plan, debt payment on Fire Station 45, Memorial and Elk Horn park improvements and the Small Business Accelerator program.

City Manager Aaron Laurel said current funding in the SBA is “definitely sufficient” to keep what he called a “wildly successful” program functioning.

“But with the amount of funding we will be spending to support that program, we don’t see it needing the funding (level) we’ve been allocating the last couple of years,” he added.

“Over that period of time of 30 years repayment, is it a significant amount worth cutting out the $5 million?” Mayor Martha Guerrero asked about the iBank loan and implementing options two or three.

Both Raper and Laurel said the amount saved by reducing the gap from $36 million to $31 million amounted to an estimated $100,000 to $200,000 a year reduction. It would also limit the city’s ability to produce revenue through Bryte Park pool usage or field rentals.

“We feel that is doable,” Smith said of Option 1 and the loan. “The city is confident that we could pay that.”

All four residents commenting on the plan endorsed option one, as did council. Smith outlined the next steps as completing the land acquisition with the school district and final contract arrangements for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant by this November. Work will begin on construction documents, with bidding hopefully slated for October-November and construction on the estimated three-year project to begin soon after.