Huntingburg Park Board Accepts CalCar $69,375 Bid for Pickleball, Parking

The Huntingburg Park Board voted unanimously at its February meeting to accept a single construction bid that expands the city’s planned pickleball project to include major parking improvements. The board approved the sole formal proposal, a combined scope submitted under the names Cal Car and CalCar, for $69,375.

The approved alternate bid will deliver pickleball court paving and an extended parking lot that connects existing parking near the pool and tennis court areas to the south entrance, creating three courts and a unified parking configuration. Parks and Recreation Director Jace Merkel told the board, “The parking lot will extend all the way through to the south entrance so that we can extend the parking lot.” The new layout includes a one-way traffic flow system intended to improve circulation and reduce congestion during peak usage periods.

Procurement at the February 19, 2026 meeting produced only one formal bid. Dubois reporting noted that “CalCar was the only contractor to submit a bid for the project.” Because the reporting shows both spellings, “Cal Car” and “CalCar”, the board accepted the contractor’s combined proposal as presented at the meeting pending any formal contract paperwork.

The $69,375 combined bid represents a substantial expansion from the original courts-only estimate of $29,830. Park officials said combining the court paving and parking extension reduces mobilization costs by saving on equipment mobilization, and that much of the cost was already encumbered from previous budget allocations for the original pickleball proposal. The approved price is volume-based; the park department cautioned the final payment could fluctuate slightly depending on actual material usage.

Board member Mike Fulkerson relayed community interest during the meeting, saying “a lot of residents have been asking about the timeline on the completion of the project.” The board did not provide a construction start date, completion schedule, or a final count of additional parking spaces at the meeting.

Absent from the February discussion were contract documents, a site plan with parking-space counts, permit or regulatory approvals, and details about the contractor’s licensing or prior work. The board’s unanimous vote authorized the combined scope and set the procurement outcome, but the meeting record did not disclose payment schedule, contingency amounts, or a definitive construction timeline. Huntersburg residents and park users seeking specifics on schedule, space counts, or contractor identity will need to consult Park Board minutes and the approved contract once those documents are released.