City approves street reconstruction around Carter Park
City Commissioners unanimously approved a $721,300 construction contract to United Materials during their Sept. 16 meeting to United Materials for street reconstruction around Carter Park.
The project will complete upgrades around the park with street reconstruction on 6th Avenue South, 7th Avenue South and 4th Street South, and bring a corner up to ADA standards, according to the city.
Construction is beginning Sept. 22 and running through Nov. 21, requiring full road closures on 4th Street South, between 6th and 7th avenues south, as well as 6th and 7th avenues south from 3rd to 4th Street South.
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Business access on 3rd Street South will remain open and the contractor will provide barricades, cones and signage in the area.
City staff completed the design phase engineering and will provide construction phase engineering and project inspection.
The project will replace the road from the base to the finished surface, for a total of three blocks of new roadway, according to the city.
The city advertised the project in August and received two bids ranging from $786,300 to $721,300 with United submitting the low bid.
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The project was selected, according to city staff, due to the poor draining of the road and to improve overall ADA accessibility to Carter Park.
The project is being funded by street, water and stormwater funds.
In 2024, commissioners approved federal Community Development Block Grant funds to replace the sidewalk on three sides of Carter Park, the sidewalk across from the park and bring all four intersections around the park up to ADA standards.
The sidewalk project was completed in April, according to the city.
Commissioners had initially approved CDBG funds toward the sidewalk project in 2023, when it was an estimated $564,885.
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Public works staff finalized the designs and the city accepted bids last spring. At that time, public works staff anticipated cost increases and met with the finance department about additional funding. Finance staff agreed CDBG could cover up to the then estimate of $637,210, given current resources and public works would fund anything over that amount, according to city staff. Public works staff eventually estimated the cost at $807,000 before putting the project out to bid, according to staff.
The low bid came in at $838,150, which awarded to United Materials in June 2024.
The increase is primarily attributed to increased costs for concrete and its installation, according to city staff.
Tom Hazen, city grants manager, said that the CDBG amendment could have been done when the bid was awarded, but he decided to hold off until closer to actual construction since staff can’t draw those funds until payments are made to the contractor. It also allowed staff to make sure there weren’t additional project costs that came up.
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CDBG funds are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and can be used for projects benefiting a residential area with a majority low to moderate income population. Projects that benefit the “severely disabled” are also eligible under HUD rules.
The Carter Park sidewalk project meets those requirements as the residential area around the park has an eligible low to moderate income population and the project is designed to bring the park into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The project included ADA corner ramps and the removal/reinstallation of damaged or uneven sidewalks, creating and preserving park access for those with mobility limitations, according to staff.
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Hazen told commissioners during their Oct. 15 meeting that staff were making changes to address delays in future CDBG projects and that one change will include requiring projects be contracted within 90 days of award and that a first draw request be submitted within 180 days of award notification.
The park is across the street from the Carter Commons senior apartments at 520 3rd St. S. that opened for lease this year.
In 2022, the project was selected for $6.5 million in federal housing tax credits to build 25 new affordable homes for seniors.
