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CASPER, Wyo. — Casper will soon begin the third phase of its ongoing project to improve Washington Park, after the City Council approved a contract with a Sheridan-based design firm on Tuesday.
Councilors authorized an agreement with Arete Design Group for an amount not to exceed $230,535.
The third phase focuses on restoration and preservation efforts at and around the park’s bandshell. According to Parks, Recreation and Facilities Director Zulima Lopez, the scope of work includes enhancing ADA accessibility, improving park drainage and installing permanent restrooms to serve the south side of the park.
Further site enhancements involve updates to pathways and trails, new landscaping, dedicated parking for food trucks and installation of park lighting.
The city received four proposals for the project and conducted interviews with three firms. Arete’s $230,535 bid was the lowest of the three interviewed, with Casper-based Inberg-Miller Engineers and MOA Architecture submitting proposals of $294,425 and $355,000, respectively. A fourth firm, Hein-Bond Architects, was not selected for an interview.
Funding for the improvements will be drawn from the Specific Purpose Sales and Use Tax and a grant awarded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The second phase of the project, carried out throughout much of 2025, featured several upgrades to the park’s utilities, including the addition of stormwater control and the relocation of the park’s stormwater system, new lighting, the relocation of the park shelter and the construction and rehabilitation of sidewalks throughout the park. Also part of the work, two tennis courts were converted to parking and six tennis courts were added.
