City Commissioners approved an agreement in August with Great West Engineering to survey and design the next phases of a downtown drainage improvement project.

The project is included in the city’s capital improvement plan within the storm drain utility enterprise fund.

The agreement cost is $264,097 for phase three and $323,767 for phase four.

Streets closed for Benefis project; downtown drainage

It’s a continuation of ongoing work to improve drainage downtown as there have been an “increasing number of short duration high intensity rainfall events that have resulted in flooding within the city in recent years,” according to staff, and downtown flooding has been problematic.

The city retained Great West Engineering in 2020 for a basin study.

Street closures continue downtown for drainage improvement project

The 9th Avenue South and Central Avenue/4th Street drainage basin study was completed in December 2020, identifying system deficiencies and recommended improvements to the storm drain network to reduce duration and amount of future flooding.

The first phase of Central Avenue/3rd Street drainage improvements project was constructed in 2023 with final payment approved by commissioners in August 2024.

The second phase is currently underway.

City seeking comment on stormwater master plan

The proposed project area for the third phase is along 3rd Street North, extending from 2nd Alley North to 1st Alley North; along 1st Alley North from 2nd Street North to 4th Street North; and along 2nd Alley North from 3rd Street North to 4th Street North.

The phase will add storm drain inlets and increase underground pipe capacity to better convey stormwater to the Missouri River, according to staff.

The proposed project area for the fourth phase is along 2nd Street South from 4th Avenue South to 7th Avenue South; and under Park Drive South and River Drive South from 2nd Street South to the Missouri River.

City approves contract for stormwater improvement project

The section from the 2nd Street South main to the intersection with River Drive South will be an entirely new stormwater main, according to staff.

The rest of the phase will add storm drain inlets, increase underground pipe capacity and upsize the outfall to better convey stormwater to the Missouri River.

The city is planning to use $2 million in tax increment financing funds and $120,000 in storm drain funds for the engineering, design and construction of the third phase and $2,620,000 in storm drain funds for the engineering, design and construction of the fourth phase.

City conducting stormwater survey

In March, commissioners approved a $3,352,727 contract to Capcon, LLC for the currently underway second phase of project.

City staff presented the larger project to the Downtown Development Partnership in June 2022 when the group voted to support the project as well as amending the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan for its inclusion.

Commissioners approved the plan amendment in August 2022 to include the stormwater projects.

In February 2025, commissioners approved a $122,897 agreement amendment with Great West Engineering for the current phase of the project.

City approves contract for downtown drainage improvement project

The second phase, currently underway, includes storm drain improvements along 3rd Street South between 2nd Alley South and Central Avenue to include storm drain, water main and street improvements along 1st Avenue South between 3rd Street South and 5th Street South.

The city contracted Great West for design and bidding services in April 2023 for the second phase of the project. Commissioners approved the first amendment to provide design services for two blocks of water main replacement and street reconstruction, according to city staff, and the second amendment adds public outreach and construction administration.

City considering contract change to avoid disrupting downtown business [2023]

Commissioners approved the original contract with Great West in April 2023 for $113,239.

The first amendment was approved in August 2024 for $24,735.

The second amendment, approved by commissioners during their Feb. 4 meeting, for $122,897 brings the contract total to $260,871.

The second contract amendment “is necessary due to the limited staff of the engineering division,” according to the staff report.

City approves TIF funds for downtown storm water project [2023]

The estimated budget for the project was $8.5 million in multiple staff documents from 2023.

In May 2023, commissioners approved a state grant agreement for the project.

Commission to consider amendment to downtown plan for drainage projects [2022]

The city was allocated $3,729,200 in grant funds from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation through the competitive grant and minimum allocation grant programs of the American Rescue Plan Act through the state.

The city is using those funds toward the downtown drainage improvement project.

Public Works staff identified ARPA dollars as a potential funding source for the project.

City Commission to consider ARPA fund agreement for downtown drainage project [2023]

The state was allocated about $2 billion in ARPA funds and the Montana Legislature put $582 million to local infrastructure programs including water and sewer projects, according to the staff report, of which $249 million was allocated to a competitive grant program for water and sewer infrastructure improvements.

There were two rounds of competition and the city’s downtown drainage project was one of four applications submitted for the second round of applications, according to the city.

The downtown drainage project was ranked 20th of 174 applications and was awarded $1,864,600 through the competitive grant program, which requires a dollar for dollar match, according to the city.

City receives $8.4 million in state ARPA funds [2023]

The state also established a $150 million minimum allocation grant program that allocated pre-set calculated balances of ARPA funds to municipalities and the city was allocated $8,505,069.

City staff chose to use a portion of those funds to match the competitive grant, which commissioners approved in September 2022.

The city is planning to use a total of $3,729,200 in ARPA funds for the project as well as $2.5 million in downtown tax increment financing funds.

City considering $1.48 million drainage improvement contract [2022]

The city will fund $6,229,200 million of the estimated $8.5 million total costs before using utility fee revenues from city residents, staff said in 2023.

The project was selected and prioritized in the city public works’ capital improvement program, and was included in the 2023 budget of the storm drain utility enterprise fund.