The city awarded the Centennial Park planning and design contract to Peaks to Plain Design of Billings last week.

At $33,076, the Peaks to Plain proposal was the cheaper of the two submissions the city received, said Powell Mayor Scott Mangold.

With a Wyoming Business Council Community Development Block Grant, the city has $33,000 available for design services, Mangold said.

Peaks to Plain Design representatives plan to meet with community members in November for designing workshops. Mangold said the meetings will likely take place at The Commons and give people a chance to share their views.

“We want to get input from the community,” he said.

Mangold said he hopes the park will provide a variety of recreational opportunities for the public.

“I want to see an active park where there's a lot of things to do,” he said. “More than just sitting on a bench and eating an apple.”

A miniature golf course and a batting cage are just a couple of possibilities.

Peaks to Plain Design will continue meeting with the city council and the community, planning to have final concept plans drafted by February 2009, Mangold said.

Mangold called Monday's design contract approval “a small step forward.”

“Now the hard part is getting the money to pay for the park,” Mangold said.

The park will cost an estimated $1.5 to $2 million, Mangold said.

He is talking to people in the state about funding, and said the city could possibly lease out the miniature golf course and other recreational activities to help generate funding.

A lot of the cost is the infrastructure for the park — electrical, sewer, water, sidewalks and roads, Mangold said.

Mangold said the city plans to meet with Peaks to Plain Design in October.