Redevelopment Commission approves engineering contracts and funding for street and sidewalk projects

The Michigan City Redevelopment Commission on March 9 voted to approve a series of contracts and appropriations to advance street, sidewalk and downtown planning projects.

Skyler explained the largest immediate ask was a not-to-exceed $40,000 appropriation as the commission’s 20% engineering oversight share for the Washington Park Boulevard Complete Streets project, an 80/20 match that Skyler said leverages roughly $1.6 million in state and federal construction funds. "This is our portion for the 20% of engineering oversight," Skyler said, adding the commission seeks $40,000 to cover contingencies though the estimated need is about $35,000.

The commission also approved a not-to-exceed $55,000 addendum to the standing Global Engineering contract (contract number given in the meeting as 260009) to produce three design schemes and related survey work for 10th Street in front of the transit station. Skyler said the scope is intended to ensure bus movements, vehicle access to the parking garage and coordination with a new Pine Street trail before permanent paving is installed.

For US 12, the commission voted to authorize engineering services with Lawson Fisher Associates not to exceed $40,000. Skyler said the engineering fee quoted was $34,900 but requested $40,000 to provide flexibility if the scope grows; the work is a "betterment" to coordinate sidewalk and ADA improvements as part of a larger NDOT repaving and restriping effort.

The commission also approved a not-to-exceed $5,000 scoping agreement with Tool Design to develop a scope for strategic planning on Michigan Boulevard, including corridor land-use and transit-development-district considerations.

Votes at a glance
- Washington Park Boulevard (Butler, Fairman & Seaford project): approved up to $40,000 contingent on attorney review (voice vote). The funding covers the commission's 20% engineering/oversight share on an 80/20 match that leverages about $1.6 million in external construction funds.
- Global Engineering addendum (10th Street improvements, contract 260009): approved not to exceed $55,000 for three design schemes and survey (voice vote).
- Lawson Fisher Associates (US 12 sidewalk engineering): approved not to exceed $40,000 for engineering services to enable a betterment with NDOT (voice vote).
- Tool Design (downtown strategic scoping): approved not to exceed $5,000 for scoping work (voice vote).

Each motion passed by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were provided on the record. Several commissioners and members of the public asked clarifying questions about project extents, bus/drop-off accommodations, crosswalk locations and right-of-way adjustments before the votes.

What’s next
Contracts authorized by the commission will proceed to staff review and bid or scope development as applicable; the Washington Park Boulevard item was approved contingent on the commission attorney’s review of the contract language. The projects are expected to be bid or move into design in the coming weeks.