City Council Meeting Date: September 19, 2017
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David E. Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer.
Title
Update on the Northfield Depot and Transit Hub Access Plans.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council receives an update on the Transit Hub Site Work Plans.
Summary Report:
The City has completed the plans for the site work improvements for the Transit Hub/Depot Site. The site improvement plans are based on input from the stakeholder group (Hiawathaland Transit, Benjamin Bus, and Save the Depot Group). The project preliminary design is complete with the exceptions of cost estimating which is still be finalized. Staff has an updated project cost estimate of $250,000 for the site work. The site work improvements currently include the following costs: preliminary design, construction design, access road, curbing, and conduit for future lighting.
The project costs currently do not include other expenses such as stairways to the Depot building, finished landscaping, walking/biking trail, pavilion, overhead power line relocation or undergrounding, and parking lot lights. Staff is continuing to work on estimating these expenses, some of which could be optional additions in scope in the future.
The City set aside $150,000 in funding from TIF 4 to fund the improvement. Knowing of the funding gap and additional intent to pursue a transit station that includes restrooms and a waiting area, staff has reached out to Hiawathaland Transit on options to move forward. Hiawathaland has indicated they could request funding for the transit building and transit hub share of the site work costs in a grant through MnDOT.
As part of the grant process, there is required 20% local match. Hiawathaland has indicated that they do not currently have the local match Capital Funding for this site in their capital plan due to other priorities. However, they could proceed with an application for funding i...
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