Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, has signed a contract with an Illinois-based firm to design and build exhibits for the new Liberty Park Nature Center in Twinsburg.
The park commissioners on Wednesday approved a contract not to exceed $59,990 with Taylor Studios Inc. for the design work.
It is one of three contracts needed to proceed with building the $812,565 nature center off Liberty Road at Post Road, park spokesman Paul Wilkerson said.
The park district previously had approved contracts with a building architectural firm, Peninsula Architects, and a landscape architect, the Environmental Design Group of Akron. Those contracts together totaled up to $146,980.
The park district and the city of Twinsburg jointly manage Liberty Park, 1,759 acres in the city, Twinsburg Township and Reminderville.
Commissioners also finalized a contract of up to $52,900 with the GPD Group to develop a plan for Wood Hollow Metro Park in Hudson.
That includes locating a new parking lot and moving and developing hiking trails at the 225-acre park at Barlow and Stow roads in southeast Hudson.
Commissioners also approved spending up to $15,000 on lumber and hardware to add boardwalks to an existing trail at Wood Hollow.
The trail, built by the park district, runs through a wet woods and more boardwalks are needed to accommodate visitors, said Keith Shy, the park district’s secretary-director.
Wood Hollow will be the next county park to open with first access expected this year.
In other action, the park district:
• Approved a plan to work with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cleveland Metroparks and the grass-roots group Tinker Creek Watershed Partners to fight invasive plants. The stream is tributary to the Cuyahoga River.
• Agreed to seek a company to build a new restroom building at Munroe Falls Metro Park in Munroe Falls.
• Approved spending up to $12,000 for boulders and other supplies to repair retaining walls at the swimming lake at Munroe Falls Metro Park. Park staffers will perform the work.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
