San Luis continues with street repaving project
Merrill Ave. upgrades to be finished by October
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Residents on the city’s west side can look forward to driving on smoother pavement as soon as October.
That’s the projected completion date of the second phase of resurfacing of Merrill Avenue, a project that will bring the total price tag of improvements to nearly $1 million.
The project also includes installation of a new drainage system to divert and contain runoff during heavy rains.
The San Luis City Council gave the OK to contract for engineering services for the second phase of work to replace heavily pitted Merrill, a collector street that serves residential subdivisions on the city’s west side.
The repaving project was one of two large public works projects for which the council earmarked funds recently.
The council, at its meeting Wednesday, approved contracts with James Davey and Associates of Yuma to serve as engineer for both projects. Under one contract for $53,505, the Yuma firm will perform engineering, design and administrative services for the second phase and final phase of Merrill Avenue paving
The council also voted to use $135,000 from a federal Community Development Block Grant received this year to supplement $435,514 in city funds already earmarked for the repaving.
In the second phase, Merrill will be repaved from Los Oros Street south to Villa Street. As part of the project, the city will replace manholes and sewer lines along Rio Sonora and San Felipe streets, as well as install a stormwater drainage system to divert water from Rio Sonora to a retention basin at Merrill and Zapata Street.
A year ago, the city spent $406,531 in the first phase of work on Merrill.
Community Development Director Jenny Torres said the second phase is expected to be completed in October.
The council also contracted for engineering services for a reroofing project that needs to be done before the city can find tenants for
a building it acquired in hopes of luring businesses to San Luis and stimulating economic growth.
James Davey and Associates received a $24,710 contract to provide administrative services for the reroofing of the unoccupied portion of the Price Center building, located at 580 N San Luis Plaza, on the city’s west end.
In 2005, the city got a $15 million loan from the Greater Arizona Development Authority to purchase and renovate the former Price Center for the purpose of housing the Advanced Call Center Technologies, an enterprise the city anticipated would create jobs.
Rent payments by the tenants were supposed to go toward paying off the loan, but have fallen short, forcing the city to subsidize debt retirement with money from the general fund. In September, the city refinanced the loan for at least the second time since the debt was originally incurred.
Torres said other industries have shown initial interest in occupying vacant portions of the building, but have stopped short of making commitments, owing not only to the condition of the roof but the lack of connections to water and sewer service and parking spaces.
Currently, the city is seeking bids from contractors to reroof the building. A total of $504,000 has been earmarked in the city’s capital improvement plan for the work.
The roof project is expected to begin sometime in 2018.