Council approves grants and purchases, hears 8th Avenue streetscape plan

Council approved a package of grants and purchases at the Feb. 24 meeting and received a detailed presentation on the 8th Avenue Streetscapes project in the Liberty District.

Deputy city staff presented several grant awards: a Family Connection grant of $52,500 (no local match), transit trust funds of about $298,000 for bus 5G equipment, a capital and planning formula grant (approx. $2.7 million) with a required 20% local match, and juvenile accountability court funding with a 15% match requirement. The council moved and approved grouped motions for several grants.

The council also approved multiple purchases on a single vote: two Ford Explorers for the IT department ($40,515 each), the Dragonfly Trail Midtown Connector Phase 1 (about $1.495 million using TAD funding), police rifles and accessories ($97,003.50) and radio equipment replacement for MCP ($48,517.90). Officials noted that the Dragonfly Trail segment was advanced by the TAD advisory committee.

Consultant Scott Holmes (McMillan Pazosmith) described the 8th Avenue Streetscapes project in front of the Liberty Theater: full reconstruction of the block between 8th and 9th Streets, burying above‑ground utilities, wider sidewalks, new curb and gutter, street trees and a lowered plaza area in front of the theater. He said much of the cost is underground utility work, with bids expected to open in late May and construction anticipated to begin in July and last about a year. The design budget was presented as $3.6 million to $4 million.

Council asked staff to clarify whether 7th Avenue was included in the TAD band and discussed leveraging redevelopment of nearby surplus parcels to support long‑term maintenance and activation of the Liberty District. Staff said they would return with a one‑page project summary and a work session update at the end of March and planned to bring surplus parcel actions to an upcoming council meeting to support the master plan.