LIVINGSTON-The Jaycee Park renovations are now on the fast track to becoming a reality, after the Livingston City Council accepted the winning bid during their meeting on Monday.

The architects of the plans for the new renovations to the park are Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood and they reviewed the two submitted bids that were received for the project by the June 2 deadline.

With two companies, R.A.C. Construction Company of Livingston and Gilco Contracting of Tuscaloosa entering a bid for this project, their bids were compared and there could be only one winner, and that winner was R.A.C. Construction Company.

The winning bid for the project was $863,931.60, but the total base bid submitted was $916, 931.60, less $60,000 as stated on the outside of the sealed envelope, plus a additive alternate of $7,000.

Livingston Mayor Tom Tartt said the overall price of over $860,000 was a little too much for the project, but due to increases in the price of asphalt and steel, the overall price suffered. He also said he and the city administrator Joe Chance were working on bringing the price back in order.

“If we can keep the price in the $700,000 price range, then we will be doing good,” Tartt said.

He said this is a major project for the City of Livingston and the people of Sumter County. He also said this is a comment to the park’s future in the City of Livingston.

“This is the first real big renovation of the park since it was opened 25 years ago,” Tartt said.

The new design will feature some well-needed additions to the park overall. The plan calls for the addition of a new baseball field and the renovations of the three older fields.

The design features a new concession stand and bathrooms, as well as some new parking and family areas complete with grills.

“These new additions will completely change the current outlook of the park. We will spend over $700,000 on the park before we are through,” Tartt said.

Tartt said that due to summer baseball the construction wouldn’t start until around July. He hopes that all the construction will be finished by the end of fall or early winter.

The City of Livingston’s Parks&Recreations Director Patrick Ezell said that he thinks these renovations to the park will be a great success. Ezell hopes that the construction will be finished by November, so he can have time to get everything cleaned up and ready to go by the New Year.

“I think we will have a very nice facility once the construction is finished,” Ezell said.

Tartt and Ezell are excited about having the ability to host bigger baseball tournaments and being able to offer youth and adult programs. Tartt said that once the building is finished the city would be able to host some little league tournaments, which would mean more money for the local businesses.