City Commissioners awarded a $763,784 contract to United Materials for a street reconstruction project during their Dec. 5 meeting.
The project will improve pedestrian traffic and meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, according to city staff.
The proposed project will provide ADA compliant routes by installing curb ramps and sidewalk from the intersection at 7th Avenue Northwest and 12th Street Northwest to the intersection of 7th Avenue Northwest and 14th Street Northwest and provide a new road base, according to the city.
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The project corridor is located in the public right of way and will be funded by Community Development Block Grant funds.
Commissioners also approved a CDBG agreement for the project during the meeting.
The city needs to spend down its CDBG balance by May 2024 to remain in compliance with timeliness requirements for the federal funds and this project was added to help use those funds.
Jesse Patton, a city engineer, said that public works evaluated the mains under the road and determined they don’t need to be replaced, so staff was able to move more quickly on this project.
The ADA improvements improve connectivity of the pedestrian route system in the area by providing an ADA compliant pedestrian corridor along 7th Avenue Northwest, which is the north west bus route, according to city staff.
The low- to moderate-income area was identified by the city as an area in needs of ADA compliant sidewalks and pedestrian ramps and well as street reconstruction.
Tom Hazen, city grants manger, said that 71.5 percent of residents in the area of the project meet the U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development’s definition of low to moderate income. CDBG funds must be used in areas where at least 51 percent of residents meet the low to moderate income definition.
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The project will require closing 7th Avenue Northwest between 12th and 14th Streets Northwest, but access to adjacent residences will be maintained through the alleys.
TD&H provided design phase engineering, plans and specifications. City engineering staff will provide construction phase engineering services and project inspection and the city streets division will lay the asphalt at the end of the project, according to the city.
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The project consists of installing about 2,000 lineal feet of integral concrete curb and gutter; 8,000 square feet of four-inch concrete sidewalk; 6,000 square feet of six-inch reinforced concrete; 16 truncated domes, four Type 1 curb inlets, and two blocks, or 850 feet, of new road base.
Hazen said that public facilities and improvement projects must be more than simple repairs to qualify for CDBG funds.
This project strips the streets, sidewalks and curbs to the ground before installing completely new infrastructure, Hazen said, so it meets the federal criteria.
Hazen said HUD also advocates for projects that increase ADA compliance and accessibility as this project does.
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He said that the project is also an efficient use of funds since city staff and TD&H designed the project so that it can be completed during the winter months.
The city received two bids for the project from United Materials and Geranios Enterprises ranging from $763,784 to $1,184,999.90 with United Materials submitting the low bid.
The project will be funded with CDBG and street capital funds, according to the city.
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The city public works department submitted a request for CDBG funds for the project with an anticipated completion in the spring.
Using CDBG funds for the project allows public works to save street assessment or gas tax funds for other capital projects, according to city staff.
The project is consistent with the city’s adopted annual action plan for CDBG funds, which includes public facilities and improvements goals.
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