Cost of intersection work grows
Bids exceed estimated $1.1 million price tag; council considers authorizing more borrowing
City lawmakers are considering authorizing an additional $325,000 in borrowing to help fund the realignment of the intersection where Broadway meets Grand Street and Pine Grove Avenue in Midtown.
Bids for the project came in higher than anticipated $1.1 million.
During an online meeting Wednesday, city Engineer John Schultheis told the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee that four bids were received. The low bid, from A. Colarusso & Son Inc., was $1,279,298, he said.
Of the originally estimated $1.1 million cost of the project, $675,000 was to come from a state Department of Transportation grant. The remaining $425,000 was to be covered by borrowing authorized by the Common Council in December.
Schultheis said the grant and previously authorized borrowing gave the city a construction budget of $977,000, which was less than the bid from A. Colarusso & Son. He said the second-lowest bid received was for about $1.4 million.
A. Colarusso & Son already is doing work for the city’s Broadway Streetscape project, Schultheis noted. He said because the firm is mobilized in the area, it likely was able to provide a more competitive bid for the realignment project.
The project calls for the former Planet Wings building on Broadway at Grand Street, which the city purchased for $450,000, to be demolished, and for the nearby intersection to be reconfigured. Currently, motorists crossing Broadway from either Pine Grove Avenue or Grand Street must turn slightly because the two streets are not directly across from each other.
Officials have said the realignment will improve safety and reduce crashes at the intersection. It also would lead to the creation of some green space in Midtown.
At Schultheis’ request, the Finance and Audit Committee endorsed a resolution authorizing the city to borrow up to another $325,000 for the project, though some members expressed frustration at the increasing cost. The resolution will go to the full Common Council for a vote next month.
Alderman Steven Schabot, D-Ward 8, said part of the increase in price might be linked to the rising costs of materials to be used in the project.