Here’s a brief recap provided to the Board of Mayor and Commissioners on July 27, 2022 regarding the City’s current capital projects:
Town Green Construction: The final items on the Town Green’s construction punch list are scheduled for completion by the end of August. The targeted opening for the Market Pavilion is after Labor Day. At the request of concerned parents in the community, the City is installing a temporary four feet tall fence along the North Avondale as a safety precaution until the North Avondale Complete Street Project is finished.
North Avondale/College Avenue Complete Street Project: Construction drawings for the project are 95% complete. Negotiations with property owners regarding right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, easements and driveways will wrap up in 60 days. The project is on schedule to go to bid in the first quarter of 2023 contingent on finalizing ROW plans and GDOT approvals. The bidding process will take approximately three months and construction mobilization at least 30 days. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2023 and will take between 12 and 18 months.
North Woods Stormwater Improvements: Phase one of the North Woods stormwater project which includes the installation of the ADA-accessible walking trail extension connecting the sidewalk at the northwest entrance of the North Woods to the Lake Trail will be complete, weather permitting, by the end of August. The Land and Water Conservation Fund grant that helps fund this project has been extended to September 30 providing a cushion in case of weather delays. The start of the second phase of the North Woods project will be announced once materials have been secured. The next phase includes enhancement and realignment of the swale, repair of the eroded stream bank, and installation of three rain gardens to slow and filter stormwater entering Lake Avondale.
Majestic Circle Stormwater Infrastructure: Weather permitting, the installation of stormwater conveyance piping to improve and update the stormwater infrastructure off Majestic Circle will begin Aug. 8. The project is expected to complete in 30-45 days.
Laredo Road Improvements: The survey and geotechnical survey have been completed. The geotechnical survey identified voids two to four feet thick eliminating repaving as a viable option since voids that large would continue to cause potholes or sinkholes.
Pond Engineering is creating concept drawings for the extension of the sidewalk and the addition of two crosswalks and bike lanes, as well as the estimating relative pricing for these improvements. The community is invited to review concept designs and learn more about the project at an open house at City Hall on August 16 from 5-7 p.m.
Two additional tasks in progress include ROW discussions for acquiring 145 square feet corner area by Savage Pizza to increase the sidewalk width and the grant application for GDOT’s "Small Cities for Transportation Alternatives (TA) Projects" to offset additional costs identified in the geotechnical survey.
Stormwater Hydrologic/Hydraulic Model: The City’s request for proposals (RFP) to complete a stormwater model for the City’s overall drainage system closed July 29. The model is fundamental to identifying the size, scale and location of new and upgraded infrastructure to address issues of flooding. Evaluations and interviews will begin in August.
Repaving Priority Project: City staff are in the process of identifying and prioritizing roads, curbs and sidewalks that need repair and/or repaving. Data gathering is scheduled to be complete by mid-August, and an RFP for the work will be posted in September. Repairs are expected to begin later this year.
Berkley Sinkhole/Storm Drain Cleaning: A contractor has been identified and pricing approved to repair the sinkhole and clean out the drains at Washington and Pine where the City is experiencing extreme flooding. Work is expected to commence in the next 30 to 60 days contingent of the delivery of materials.