Follow the McEuen financial timeline

- Dec. 23, 2010

The park plan was announced in a Press article after designers met with Press editor Mike Patrick and reporter Tom Hasslinger. The conceptual plan, designed by Team McEuen for $125,000, was the most robust it would ever be, proposing to take out the softball fields, the American Legion baseball field, and the city boat launch. It called for a giant water fountain at the intersection of Fourth Street and Front Avenue, and 1,234 parking spots.

- "The question wasn't, how much would all of this cost? Team McEuen's purpose now is to dream big and see what the community thinks, then figure out finances later," the Press article states.

Jan. 6 and Feb. 3, 2011

- The city held a pair of public meetings to showcase the plan on Jan. 6 and Feb. 3, 2011. Nearly 1,000 people attended between the two meetings. Costs weren't estimated at the time, but were a topic at both meetings. Between the Dec. 23, 2010, Press article and the Jan. 6 meeting, Dan Gookin wrote a blog post that estimated the cost of the Front Avenue parking structure alone could reach $82 million. Before Gookin won his City Council seat, he was an active government watchdog who blogged and commented online frequently.

"I want to know the costs," said Dan Garnett at the Feb. 3 meeting. "That's one of the determining factors."

"It's just way over the head of anything the city can afford," Sharon Hebert said at the Feb. 3 meeting. "I just can't see it in today's economy."

- Jan. 14, 2011

Mayor Sandi Bloem states in a Press article that there will not be a public vote on the fate of McEuen Field.

"Everything has been voted on by the public because they voted for the elected officials." - Bloem

- The first estimates for the park project are announced to cost between $23 million and $39 million. A bulk of the project, called the footprint, is estimated to cost between $23 million and $27.9 million. The high end reflects every amenity plus the cost of building replacement facilities elsewhere, like a baseball stadium.

"I'm very pleased with the numbers. It doesn't mean I think we can just go out and spend $25, $30 million right now. But I think if we're talking about a long-term vision ... there really is an opportunity here." - Bloem

"I think the estimates are low ... It's going to come in higher. Hardly ever does a project of this size come in under." - Rita Sims-Snyder, park plan opponent, who estimated close to $50 million for the project.

"Overly optimistic. They could know something I don't know, but that's what I saw doing my research." - Gookin on the estimates that were substantially lower than his own.

"You just don't intentionally estimate low, because you would just screw up the whole process. Even if there was political motivations, you wouldn't do it because if the prices were to come in much higher, then the wheels would fall off." - Park designer Dick Stauffer

April 20, 2011

- Lake City Development agrees to a $16.75 million line of credit with Washington Trust Bank to help fund the McEuen Field project, a number recommended by the asset management company Seattle-Northwest Securities.

#3 April 23, 2011

- A Press article details Phase 1, or footprint, of the project estimated to cost between $14.7 million (with a parking garage level taken out) and $17.3 million. Adding temporary baseball relocation costs and a new boat launch at Silver Beach, the total hovers between $17 million and $20 million.

"Once you get the footprint in, the rest of it is very fluid." - City Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander

"I think they're quite a bit short ... There are some things that should be eliminated." - City Councilman Ron Edinger

#4 May 24, 2011

- The City Council adopts the conceptual plan five votes to one, with Edinger voting against. Estimated park price range: $14 million to $39.2 million

Aug. 2, 2011

- The City Council approves a $60,300 contract for Team McEuen for landscape and topography work on McEuen Field. It's the first proposed extension on the $125,000 design contract.

Nov. 8, 2011

- Three McEuen Field project opponents, Steve Adams, Ron Edinger and Dan Gookin, easily defeat their park proponent rivals in the City Council election.

"They want a vote on McEuen Field." - Edinger

#5 Dec. 9, 2011

- An impact traffic study tied to the project is completed. Phase1 estimated at $17.2 million

Jan. 12, 2012

- After the new council members were seated, the Coeur d'Alene City Council decided 4-3 not to put the multi-million dollar McEuen Field conceptual project to a public advisory vote. The 4-to-3 split would hold throughout the year.

#6 Feb. 15, 2012

- Lake City Development Corp. agrees to allocate $11.5 million to the city of Coeur d'Alene to pay for Phase 1 of the McEuen Field project.

#7 March 6, 2012

- Park designers show a slimmed down $14.2 million Phase 1 project, which includes keeping the boat launch. A separate deal with the state that could have provided a location for a replacement boat launch won't work out in time. Also gone from the park plan is the Freedom Fountain. A divided Coeur d'Alene City Council agrees to a $1.96 million architectural and engineering contract with the park's designers, Team McEuen, to begin drawing construction documents.

"You have to have vision and look out into the future to create great communities. I think we should move forward with the project and get it going." - Councilman Mike Kennedy

#8 April 4, 2012

Recall CdA announces its intent to mount a recall effort against the four city council incumbents who voted in favor of the McEuen Field project. Fliers supporting the recall point to a $40 million estimate as the park figure. Fliers opposing the recall point to the $14.2 million figure.

April 11, 2012

The city of Coeur d'Alene takes down the website that showed the original, high-end $39.2 million estimate for the downtown park conceptual plan. It adds an updated web page that shows the $14.2 million figure. At the same time, signs are placed at McEuen Field depicting the $14.2 million in upgrades.

"It's ancient information. When concepts change we don't keep outdated information." - Doug Eastwood, parks director

"I'm fed up with all the name games that go on ... It's either a plan or it's not a plan." - Frank Orzell, recall organizer

#9 June 18, 2012

- The recall effort fails due to lack of certified signatures.

June 28, 2012

- Park Designers show construction documents of the McEuen Field project at 30 percent completed. Boat trailer parking is changed to move closer to the boat launch, which remains in the design. Total parking spots go from 1,200 in the original conceptual plan to 719.

"There's been compromise all along ... Compromise works both ways." - Bloem

"Who are you compromising with? It looks to me you've run out of money so you change the plan and call it a compromise." - Gookin

Aug. 21, 2012

- City Council approves $1.16 million contract with ACI Northwest Inc. to begin construction work on the east end parking lot of McEuen Field.

Sept. 10, 2012

- Groundbreaking ceremony at McEuen Field as construction gets under way on the east parking lot portion of the project. The bulk of the project is scheduled to go out to bid in March.

Council members Edinger, Adams and Gookin, who oppose the park plan, don't attend.

"Projects like this just don't happen ... This took courage, it took support, and it took endurance." - Bloem

#10 Oct. 4, 2012

- Team McEuen shows the construction documents for the park at the 60 percent completed mark. The plan is drawn to the $14.2 million budget. The child play area, waterfront promenade and grand pavilion have been reduced in scope. Parking spots go from 719 to 702 under the proposal. It's the most scaled-back version of the park plan to date.

"We're not going over budget ... That's the bottom line." - Kennedy

Oct. 6, 2012

- Kootenai County Dog Park Association announces it will have the funds through private fundraising to add a $67,000 dog park at the base of Tubbs Hill when the park project is constructed.

#11 Dec. 27, 2012

- The McEuen Park designers and city parks department say the $14.2 million version is too reduced, and ask the city for $3.4 million to $4.2 million to add amenities back into the plan, such as a built-out waterfront promenade, pavilion and children's playground. It adds tennis and pickleball courts back in, as well as an information center, the Harbor House.

Total price to get the rest of the park built: $16.8 million to $17.6 million.

Total proposed estimated cost of the project - including money that has already been spent on it, such as work already completed and architect and engineering fees and contracts - $20.8 million.

"Five million bucks to make it bitchin' ... Bite the bullet and go big." - Councilman Woody McEvers

"It seems like at every turn this thing has changed ... Another year we sacrifice for this park that wasn't supposed to have a nickel of taxpayer money ... I thought we had this funded. I thought we were good to go." - Adams

Jan. 2, 2013

- The City Council agrees to ask LCDC for up to $4.2 million more for the project.

"LCDC was formed for this purpose." - Kennedy

"Just weird ... almost bizarre." - Adams

Jan. 15, 2013

- The City Council decides on an $845,100 Local Improvement District with Front Avenue property owners. The city had proposed a $1.2 million LID for street improvement adjacent McEuen Field. The reduced amount means the street design has to be trimmed back. City also agrees to pitch in $1.4 million of its own funds.

"They are getting harder and harder to track down, because they do change." - Goodlander on the fluctuating financial figures

Mid-January, 2013

- The city takes down the signs at McEuen Field detailing the $14.2 million, Phase 1 improvements and replaces them with signs depicting the park with the proposed amenities that were added back in at the end of December. It no longer refers to the project as Phase 1.

Jan. 16, 2013

- LCDC agrees to fund $3.4 million more for the project - $800,000 short of the total request. It ups LCDC's total allocation to $15.6 million.

"We need to have money set aside for other things we want to do." - Rod Colwell, LCDC member and finance chair

"They made a great fiscal decision based on their budget; at the same time we can build a park that was shown in the original drawings." - Bloem

Jan. 16, 2013

- Latest estimate to get the rest of the park built: $16.8 million. Estimated cost of the project including money that has already been spent: $20 million.

#12 Feb. 1, 2013

- The project is sent out to bid. Estimated cost for remainder of project: $15.5 to $16 million, not including add alternates. Project has 749 parking spots. City has $16.2 million secured. Estimated cost of the project including money that has already been spent: $20 million.

Feb. 20, 2013

- LCDC agrees to partner with the city to contract a public information officer as a point of contact for property owners during construction season. Estimated cost: $24,000

#13 March 5, 2013

- Bid opening scheduled for 10 a.m. in the old City Council Chambers.

March 7, 2013

- The City Council will vote on awarding a contract for the project at 5 p.m. in a televised meeting.

March 18, 2013

- Expected first day of construction

November 2013

- Construction expected to be completed