Authorize Staff to Submit a Grant Application to Metropolitan Council for Mississippi Skyway.

The purpose of this case is to provide City Council with a summary update on the Mississippi Skyway project; and to receive authorization to apply for approximately $5 million dollars in Federal funding through Metropolitan Council's Regional Solicitation grant program, due July 15, 2016.

On April 12th, 2016, City Council authorized staff to pursue the development of a multi-jurisdictional cost share agreement for the pedestrian bridge proposed to connect the Northstar Rail Station in The COR, with the regional trail and park on the south side of U.S. Highway's 10 & 169.  The intention of this agreement would be that it also leads to a designation for the bridge as an 'Equally Valuable Facility', serving as the cost equivalent for the Right of Way (ROW) for the proposed Riverdale Drive project.

Within the April case, under 'Funding Sources' was the narrative  "No funding is required as part of this case.  However, it is expected that a successful Cost Share Agreement would include significant Federal grant funding for the pedestrian bridge.  (A regional solicitation is anticipated to be announced in the summer of 2016, with grant awards up to $5.5 million for multi-use trails/bridges .) Additionally, it may reiterated here, that the city does have the $490,000 from the National Park Service for the bridge, that must be applied to this project by 2017."

Considerable additional detail and background within the April 12th case on this project is available here:
http://156.142.212.178:8080/agenda_publish.cfm?id=0&mt=ALL&get_month=4&get_year=2016&dsp=agm&seq=6154&rev=0&ag=6167&ln=21099&nseq=&nrev=&pseq=6204&prev=0#ReturnTo21099


 

No public notification is required.

Observations:
While the aforementioned Cost Share Agreement for funding the Mississippi Skyway is not completed, the Regional Solicitation for grants up to $5.5 million dollars for Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities has been issued, with the deadline for submission approximately two weeks away.  This grant opportunity will not be available again for two years, nor is there a known funding source (and total amount) that aligns so well with the proposed bicycle and pedestrian bridge.  The successful grant applicants would be notified in January 2017, for project funding in 2020 and 2021.

Related project elements are summarized below:

Right of Way acquisition for Riverdale Drive Extension (Traprock Street to Ramsey Boulevard)
The City Engineer has ordered and received an appraisal for the cost for acquiring 5.3 acres of roadway ROW, and found the appraiser's value to be $200,000 dollars. Staff will present an offer to Anoka County Parks to acquire the ROW via the Equally Valuable Facility approach, with the cash purchase as an alternative, such that in either case, the bidding and subsequent construction for this partially grant funded improvement south of Highway 10 remains on schedule. This will occur in the coming weeks.

National Park Service contribution of $490,000 for the Mississippi Skyway
The $490k must be applied to this project by 2017.  For this reason staff has invited Bolton & Menk to provide the city a proposal to apply part of these funds to the development of final engineering, and Final Plans and Specifications. Once completed, this will also provide for a project that is shovel-ready, a distinction that is also useful in the strategy of receiving grant funding and cost sharing.

Multi-jurisdictional Cost Share Agreement
Especially in that there are several concurrent partnerships to be developed here, this will take several more months to formalize.  Metro Transit (Northstar),enthusiastically supports the Mississippi Skyway for its value as a rail station enhancement (as it will increase ridership).  Preliminary discussions with the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) staff indicate support as well. Ramsey staff hopes to meet within them in the coming weeks. Meetings with Metropolitan Council staff and Anoka County Parks will also occur.

Master Plan Amendment for Mississippi West Regional Park
The Master Plan Amendment process will begin subsequent to a draft Cost Share Agreement.

No funding is required at this time, nor authorized as part of this case.  Rather this case authorizes staff to seek Federal funding.  It may be pointed out the grant source this case would authorize applying for, does require a 20% local match (intended to met by the Cost Share Agreement jurisdictions, including Ramsey), but does not preclude other Federal funding sources—as long as there remains a local match.

 

Staff recommends pursuing the grant application concurrently with the development of the Cost Share Agreement, the other elements of the Mississippi Skyway project—and the acquisition of the ROW for Riverdale Drive, as an Equally Valuable Facility.

 

Motion to authorize Staff to apply for up to $5.5 million dollars in Federal funding through Metropolitan Council's Regional Solicitation grant program for the Mississippi Skyway—while pursuing the multi-jurisdictional Cost Share Agreement.