Casper City Council approves projects at Ford Wyoming Center, Fort Caspar campgrounds

CASPER, Wyo. — On Tuesday, the Casper City Council approved a trio of infrastructure projects aimed at upgrading the Fort Caspar campground and maintaining the cooling and accessibility of the Ford Wyoming Center.

At the Fort Caspar campground, the council authorized a $110,250 agreement with local contractor Arc Electric LLC for electrical utility upgrades. The project includes the installation of new utility conductors, a transformer pad, a new electrical panel and the replacement of RV pedestals.

Councilors also authorized an $11,000 construction contingency, bringing the total project amount to $121,250. Funding for the upgrades will be drawn from Capital Fund Reserves previously allocated for repairs at the Izaak Walton Campground, with an expected completion date of Nov. 15.

In other business, the council addressed critical maintenance needs at the Ford Wyoming Center by approving a $38,870 contract with Long Building Technologies to repair the facility’s cooling tower.

Casper Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Zulima Lopez said one of the tower’s two industrial gearboxes failed, leaving the HVAC system operating at approximately half of its capacity and increasing the risk of a complete cooling loss.

Work on the cooling tower is expected to be finished by July 31.

In a separate project at the Ford Wyoming Center, city leaders voted to accept a $75,000 grant from the Office of State Lands and Investments for pedestrian and lighting improvements.

The grant, which covers up to 30% of the project costs, will be used to enhance walkways and parking lot lighting, Lopez said. A primary focus of the work will be improving access from the Cowboy Lot, which supports parking for events like the College National Finals Rodeo and others at both the events center and the nearby WYO Sports Ranch.

The required local matching funds will be provided through fifth-cent tax allocations and in-kind work from city staff, according to a city memo.

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