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Vine Street bids come in too high
It's not exactly a "stellar start" for the Vine Street reconstruction project.
The third of three streetscapes being redone under the City of Greencastle's Stellar Grant program, Vine Street stands to be a challenging effort.
In fact, those were already the words voiced by Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray earlier this month, before the Vine Street project even went out for letting.
That bid letting, she told the Greencastle Development Commission Wednesday night, "did not go well."
The scheduled project, designed to improve South Vine Street from Washington Street south to Seminary Street, received only two construction bids last week, and both of those were well above engineering estimates on the proposed streetscape work.
After some modifications to the Vine Street design, the project will be rebid March 4, Mayor Murray said.
That would still allow the project to continue on a timetable for construction to start in April and be completed by mid-August. That is the same timeline on which South Indiana Street was redone this past year.
And while the South Indiana project had some hurdles to overcome for the city and property owners along the busy street, working on Vine isn't going to be like living on easy street either.
The mayor pointed to "the challenge" of providing access to the post office, library, apartments, Eitel's Florist and Hammer and Co. CPAs -- all on or around South Vine Street -- during five or six months of construction.
The initial city streetscape project was Washington Street -- between Indiana and Bloomington streets), which began July 26, 2013 and was completed in November 2013.
South Indiana Street work commenced April 12, 2014 and ended last August just as DePauw University students were returning to campus.
Vine Street is expected to be redone on the same schedule as South Indiana as the city looks toward the finish line on the $19 million Stellar Grant project it was awarded in March 2011.
Also part of the overall Stellar package is the owner-occupied housing revitalization effort and creation of second-floor loft apartments in the downtown area.
Both of those projects are also moving along.
Eleven second-floor lofts will be built in three separate buildings, Mayor Murray noted, as the city has received a $770,000 grant for creating the trendy lofts.
The project involves all new apartments, mostly studios and one-bedroom units with a single two-bedroom loft to be available.
Meanwhile, the latest round of Greencastle owner-occupied housing rehab involves four properties at a total cost of $74,726.
Energy Conservation Solutions was the low bidder on the final round of owner-occupied rehabilitation efforts, which was extended to homes across the entire city in the second round of funding. The project is divided as follows:
-- 409 W. Jacob St., $21,922.
-- 250 Elizabeth St., $20,667.
-- 450 Rockville Rd., $16,960.
-- 643 E. Seminary St., $15,167.
"We'll have done a total of 25 homes (rehabilitated) when we're finished," Mayor Murray noted.
In other Stellar updates, the second round of downtown facade renovation is awaiting its final plans. A public hearing on Phase II of the facade project is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10 at City Hall.
Meanwhile, the two surface parking lots that replaced the proposed downtown parking garage, seem only a couple of warm days away from being made usable for temporary parking until the final coat of asphalt can be applied in the spring.
"The good news for all of us," the mayor smiled, "is we're getting ready to wrap up discussion of all things Stellar.
"We'll be finished with that ... some time."