Cost of downtown project below estimates
Jennifer Larson
Staff Writer
The costs for last fall’s downtown improvement project – including the Lake and Broadway roundabout – have come in under the original contracted amount of $3,191,712.
At its March 14 meeting, the Forest Lake City Council approved a compensating change order totalling $216,821.59. The revised contract amount with Peterson Companies is $2,974,890.41.
“This is a realized reduction,” said City Engineer Paul Hornby, noting the difference reflects the actual quantities installed.
In addition, the final payment date has been extended to June 10 to allow for completion of the irrigation system and inspections by MnDOT.
Broadway Utilities
Hornby also presented the council with a statement of work request that Xcel Energy uses for municipalities to initiate project improvements.
The city has been working with Xcel Energy and Washington County to bury the existing overhead power lines and those private utilities along the Broadway Avenue corridor between I-35 and Hardwood Creek Trail.
The cost provided by Xcel Energy to perform the burial and associated improvements is $590,160.27, Hornby said, adding that the city has budgeted $650,000. The council is expected to take formal action on the “work order” on Monday, April 11.
He explained the city will need to work with the individual property owners to modify the services as identified by Xcel Energy. In addition, 10 commercial properties and nine residential ones will require conversion of services from overhead to underground.
Hornby said those improvements can be accomplished by having approved city contractor(s) available for property owners in Forest Lake to complete modifications and/or allow them to hire the work on their own, with the city providing reimbursement for reasonable costs associated with the burial.
However, he noted that all costs prepared for work by property owner contractor(s) should be reviewed and approved by the city prior to any work performed, if reimbursement is desired.
This article is highly misleading as to believe that the roundabout is less expensive than it was originally thought to be. It’s simply not true. The contracted company is only one cost factor to this major project that happened in Forest Lake. So, the company didn’t have to install as much of xyz they originally planned to and ended up giving us about a 5% discount because they had to do less than they thought.
The reality is that we had to also remove, purchase and litigate multiple businesses to move, relocate or shut down completely. These were not free and this article failed to mention any of it. Has anyone factored in the ongoing loss of tax revenue from those businesses on that very busy corner downtown? I wouldn’t imagine the city would actually do that as it will just be passed along to the rest of us taxpayers with less in the pool.
The city taxpayers begged over and over not to do this project and a few people pushed it down our throats regardless. It doesn’t surprise me that this paper chooses to ignore that fact as well. Do a little more research, find the real total cost and then go back about 3 years and dig up what they claimed this thing would cost originally!
Facts! Did you go to any of the informational meetings? The State of Minnesota was requiring an upgrade that would carry us through 2030. A stop light with adequate turn lanes woluld have required more loss of pirvate property and virtually all street parking in downtown. One ways using Lake Street and Centennial Drive would have required us to buy Houle Elevator, Stock Lumber and various other parcels to replace county lands taken pusing the cost to double or triple the roundabout option. How much more did this project end up costing because of delays caused by you and your ilk? Why dont you and your crew go stand in the middle of that intersection with your signs and see what kind of reaction you get. If its just attention I’ll glady pay to have stocks erected out there and provide the rotten vegetables.
Childish responses such as this from you don’t ever seem to actually answer any of my concerns, do they? It’s sad all too often you choose not to face the truth.
You asked and I answered. The fact that you can’t admit to being wrong about the actual facts only gives additional credence to what the majority of people in this community have come to accept. You and your friends don’t care about facts. Greediness has no need for facts. They are an inconvenient truth. You call my reponse childish! Possibly….but I will resort to anything but murder and torture to drive you and your evil, blighted, Chicken Little friends, from our midst. It would probably take little more than one very small firecracker to blow all the chicken brains out of the flock and I dont think I would get prosecuted.