CEDAR FALLS - A new campground could open Labor Day weekend near Big Woods Lake in northern Cedar Falls.

Jerry Shoff, with Shoff Consulting Engineers, presented a design for a 56-site park to city staff and members of the Black Hawk County Conservation Board on Wednesday.

The campground, accessible via an entrance off Lake Street, would include 20 pull-through RV and trailer camper pads clustered in the center, with 36 back-in sites along the perimeter. Each site would be equipped with sewer, electricity, water and wireless Internet.

Preliminary construction costs for the project are estimated at $1,172,500, which exceeds the $762,753 secured through city, county, federal, state and private sources. Shoff suggested lower-priced alternatives, like using rock instead of concrete RV pads.

"What we'll do is take bids, inform the contractor that we have a specific budget to meet, and we'll just keep deducting things from the project until we match the budget," Shoff said.

However, bids may come in higher than anticipated, amid a fairly short time frame for the project's completion, said Richard McAlister, the city's administrative services director.

"It's kind of late," he said. "Some people are booked up."

Also in the works is an all-season cabin overlooking the lake. A grant through the Black Hawk County Gaming Association has designated $45,000, which would likely cover half of the cabin's cost. Officials are toying with the idea of building the structure in-house to save money or hiring someone to speed up the job.

Vern Fish, conservation board executive director, said the cabin is a sure bet to begin generating revenue and, pending availability of money, he would like to see it built as soon as possible.

"Based on the 10 cabin rentals we have in our system, they are just going like hotcakes," Fish said of similar setups at county parks. "What we're finding is, particularly when you have high fuel costs and a recession, people aren't spending money traveling out of town. A cabin is a relatively cheap way to have a weekend experience."

A shower facility and tent area are also part of future developments.

The City Council is expected to set a public hearing later this month or early June for the design plans and bids request.