MSC News

MSC News National Headlines Sports Top Headlines CBS US News CBS Technology

Printer Friendly

Email to a Friend

Falls City Main Street Construction Bid Awarded

By John Nixon

04/17/2012

1XXXXX

East 17th Street

On a 4-2 vote with one abstention and one Councilman absent the Falls City Council approved going forward with the first construction phase of the Downtown Revitalization Project with a contract amount not to exceed $507,795. John Martin with the Main Street Committee addressed the Council. ( play audio :33 seconds )
    The $507,795 bid was well above the engineer estimate of $393,046. That price does not include Kirkham Michael Engineering costs of $54,000. The city received a Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $333,000 to help pay the costs of the project.
    Martin outlined how the Committee will make up the nearly $115,000 difference in the bid and the estimate. ( play audio 1:26 )
    Council members Ryan Rieschick and Jim Wisdom cast the nay votes on the project. Councilman Jerry Oliver who served on the Main Street Committee abstained and Councilman Steve Scholl did not attend the Monday night Meeting.
    This phase of the project will include work on the south side of 17th Street between Stone and Harlan and on the west side of Stone Street from 17th to 18th Street. Councilman Rieschick raised his concerns prior to the vote. ( play audio :23 )
    The entire project calls for improvements from 14th Street to 20th Street on Harlan, Stone and Chase Streets. Kevin Burnison with the Southeast Nebraska Development District said it could be 2 – 3 years before additional CDBG funds are available for another portion of the project.
    Councilman Hal Sutter said he felt the City could not back out of the project at this point. ( play audio :14 seconds )
    Following the meeting Martin said construction work could begin at early at May 11th and that they would reach a stopping point prior to the Cobblestone Festival in August and then complete the rest of this phase.