Jambalaya Park
CLIENT: City of Gonzales
Award: 2005 Louisiana Municipal Associatoin Project of the Year

The abandonment of the 40-year old extended aeration wastewater treatment plant in the City of Gonzales created a unique opportunity for cost savings to the City, while taking economic advantage of past wastewater treatment facility capital expenditures. Since financing for the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant was via Louisiana's State Clean Water Revolving Fund Loan Program, the demolition of the old plant was also fundable under that same program. GSA developed a program whereby SRF funding could be used to finance partial demolition of the wastewater plant facilities, which saved the City the cost of full demolition. The partially demolished facilities are being used as the base infrastructure for a park that is under construction at the old wastewater treatment facility site.

Unique uses of the old treatment structures included the conversion of primary and secondary clarifiers into floating gardens, fountains and fish ponds; conversion of the rapid sand filter into an outdoor amphitheater; partial demolition of the anaerobic digester tank wall to create a free-form children's spray tunnel; relocation of the chlorine cylinder storage building to create the entrance gate for the park; and reuse of salvaged ductile iron pipe as an aesthetic embellishment for support columns of an arbor/seating area in the center of the floating garden/pond area.

To provide the most cost effective strategy for this project, it was developed into three phases. This allowed optimum use of available funding as well as logical progression for the proposed construction.

• Phase I - This phase includes a concrete path and decorative paving along Bayou Francois, 60' x 6' wide timber pedestrian bridge, a new playground and shade arbor.
  
  
• Phase II - This phase includes an 8-lane swimming pool, wade pool, splash tunnel, fish ponds, spray-jet water display fountain, concrete parking, sidewalks, wood arbor and decking with outdoor lighting, planters, brickwork on existing concrete basins, and drainage system.
  
  
• Phase III - This phase consists of a pool house adjacent to the new pool and a theater building next to an outdoor terraced seating area. Also included are concrete paving, sidewalks, fencing, display fountain in the bayou, gazebo, park sign, lighting and landscaping.
  
  
• Phase IV - Sprayground, Parking, and Road Improvements at Jambalaya Park - This phase consists of the construction of water playground and associated mechanical and electrical appurtenances, shade shelter and sitework; parking and road improvements at the Jambalaya Park site.