Consideration of Bids:  4th Street Gateway Project

Bids were substantially higher than the project’s budgeted amount.  Staff recommends that City Council reject all bids as submitted for Bid #2014-86, 4th Street Gateway project. All bids received for this project were substantially greater than the Engineer’s estimate and budgeted amount. Staff will re-assess budget availability and project scope.

The project has a total project budget appropriation of $184,360 from the BBB Beautification fund and is scheduled in the Beautification 5-year plan, funded in the FY 2014-2015 authorized budget.

Council Goals:  Retain, expand, and diversify economic base

REGIONAL PLAN:

Goal WR.5. Manage watersheds and storm water to address flooding concerns, water quality, environmental protections, and rainwater harvesting. 
Goal WR.6. Protect, preserve, and improve the quality of surface water, groundwater, and reclaimed water in the region.
Goal CC.3. Preserve, restore, enhance, and reflect the design traditions of Flagstaff in all public and private development efforts.
Goal CC.4. Design and develop all projects to be contextually sensitive, to enhance a positive image and identity for the region.
Goal CC.5. Support and promote art, science, and education resources for all to experience.
Goal LU.1. Invest in existing neighborhoods and activity centers for the purpose of developing complete, and connected places.
Goal LU.18. Develop well designed activity centers and corridors with a variety of employment, business, shopping, civic engagement, cultural opportunities, and residential choices.
Goal PF.2. Provide sustainable and equitable public facilities, services, and infrastructure systems in an efficient and effective manner to serve all population areas and demographics.

No

1) Reject all bids as recommended.
2) Approve the award to the lowest bidder.

The 4th Street Gateway is designed to enhance 4th Street and create a memorable, visually-appealing focal point that announces the 4th Street corridor.

The 4th Street Gateway design incorporates the flexibility needed to accommodate displays of interchangeable public art; integrates a low seat wall constructed of locally available and contextual materials; supports a “4th Street” sign for viewing by eastbound traffic that includes a stone monolith pier sign for westbound motorists; includes space for pedestrian use and access anticipated to increase with development on the south side of Route 66; buffers the view of adjacent commercial parking lots using colorful, regionally-appropriate plant species; incorporates specialty paving to enrich pedestrian use; provides space for storm water and low impact design; and accommodates periodic maintenance and snow storage/removal.

Below is a summary of the bids received:
Engineer’s estimate : $188,996
Tri-Com Corp.                         $295,991.80
Woodruff Construction          $366,841.50
Morning Dew Construction  $412,679.10
BEC Southwest                      $484,807.46

Located at the northeast corner of 4th Street and Route 66, the 4th Street Gateway will boldly announce the area’s business and residential community to motorists, pedestrians, and transit riders. It incorporates previously solicited public input and key principles for redevelopment and their respective concept design options as originally outlined under the 4th Street Corridor Master Plan. The Gateway will enhance the development of 4th Street as a destination and support branding and design standards toward a consistent area theme, strong sense of place, and rejuvenated business district.

Future (separate budget and bid item) interchangeable public art component will be a key element of the Gateway. Prior to the idea of having the art be interchangeable, support for a permanent public art component or centerpiece was mixed—businesses generally were not in favor, while residents’ support was strong. The Gateway’s design flexibility to display works of art, monuments, or other features such as a giant Christmas tree means that each group of constituents will have the opportunity to see their preferred symbol/artwork/monument displayed as part of the Gateway.

Consult. Outreach for the Gateway began as part of the larger 4th Street Corridor Study project in 2009, even though the idea for the Gateway predated the Corridor Study. A series of Corridor public outreach dialogues were held by the design consultant to identify key issues and considerations which then resulted in conceptual designs for a gateway as part of the Corridor study.

A second series of outreach meetings for designing the Gateway, as separate from the Corridor project, began in 2012. Five public meetings were conducted to gather community and business owner ideas for the Gateway. Four alternative designs were produced based on business and residents input at these meetings. The public outreach process culminated in a final public meeting at the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association’s annual barbeque where residents provided additional comments and input on the four alternative designs. These four designs were then presented to the city's Beautification and Public Art Commission (BPAC) for selection of a preferred alternative. The selected preferred alternative was then presented to the Mayor and Council for input in a series of one-on-one meetings.

1) Reject all bids as recommended. Staff and consultants have value- engineered the project and believe rebidding the project based on the value engineering will result in bids within or close to the project’s budget.
2) Approve the award.