SAFFORD — The Safford City Council will be asked to make a difficult decision — spend more money than planned on construction of Mayor Jason Kouts Park or make cuts to the park’s design.
All of the 10 bids that have come in for construction of the park are above the engineer’s estimate of $7.5 million.
The low bid is $8.1 million from Danson Construction LLC out of Phoenix. Danson was the construction firm that built the new Pima High School.
The highest bid is from Meridian Engineering Co. out of Tucson, at $14.8 million.
As currently designed, the construction project includes:
- Splash pad
- Pickleball courts
- Amphitheater
- Playgrounds
- Ramadas
- Two restroom buildings
- Walking pathways
- Pedestrian bridge
- Open lawn spaces
- Roadway and parking lot paving
The parking lot, as currently designed, would also include spaces that could be used as a food truck court.
The park is to be located on the northeast corner of 8th Avenue and Discovery Park Boulevard, just west of the Safford Cemetery. It was initiated in 2023, using some of the $3.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding the city received as a result of the pandemic.
Former Mayor Jason Kouts, who died in office in January 2024, wanted all the ARPA money spent on parks. As a result of his efforts, the park was named in his honor by a vote of the City Council in February 2025.
– Contributed Image/City of Safford
