Title
Southeast Corridor Infrastructure Planning and Design Services
Action
Action:
Approve a contract in the amount of $2,300,000 with American Engineering Associates - Southeast, P.A. for Southeast Corridor Infrastructure.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Derrel Poole, Engineering & Property Management
Tim Greene, Engineering & Property Management
Explanation
§ Southeast Corridor Infrastructure includes $25 million for the Land Acquisition and Street Connections Program to build key street connections in order to increase land use accessibility, encourage reinvestment in the area through construction of new retail and housing, increase employment, and improve mobility.
§ These projects will advance the goals of the Independence Boulevard Area Plan adopted by City Council in 2011 and will focus on street improvements and connections to neighborhood services for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users.
§ On August 25, 2014, the City Council approved an initial contract in the amount of $225,000 to American Engineering Associates - Southeast, P.A. (AEA) for advance planning services for the Southeast Corridor Infrastructure. City Council was informed that the contract was for advance planning services only.
§ AEA has completed the advance planning phase, which included identification and prioritization, market analysis, and community engagement:
- Project identification and prioritization included more than 50 projects to review for incorporating pedestrian, bicycle, and aesthetic improvements, complement other public investment in the area and provide opportunities to leverage private investment,
- Market analysis identified areas with greatest market strength, and
- Community engagement involved 30 stakeholder interviews and two open houses with more than 200 participants.
§ The contract will include final planning and design services for two infrastructure projects identified and prioritized during the advance planning phase and planning services for five additional infrastructure projects. This work will allow staff to refine construction project needs and costs for the future.
§ Planning and design services totaling $1,091,785 will include but is not limited to:
- Urban street design,
- Traffic analysis,
- Public involvement,
- Alternative analysis,
- Environmental and natural resource assessments,
- Geotechnical investigations,
- Field surveys,
- Permitting,
- Right-of-way plans,
- Traffic control plans,
- Structure design,
- Erosion control plans,
- Cost estimates, and
- Final design plans for construction (to be funded through future bond referendums).
§ The two projects include:
- Pierson Drive Extension (existing terminus at the Super Wal-Mart on Independence Boulevard to the intersection of Shade Valley Road and Monroe Road); and
- Wendover/Pierson Frontage Road Connection to Eastway Drive (Wendover Road interchange at Independence Boulevard to Wendover/Pierson Frontage Road).
§ Planning services in this contract total $838,341. The five infrastructure planning services projects include:
- Wendover/Pierson Frontage Road (Pierson Drive in front of the Super Wal-Mart to the Wendover Road Interchange at Independence Boulevard)
- Wallace Road Extension (Sharon Forest Drive intersection to Village Lake Drive)
- Idlewild/Farmingdale Frontage Road (Farmingdale Drive to Idlewild Road at the Dion Avenue Intersection)
- Coliseum Drive Extension (Commonwealth Avenue to the existing Coliseum Drive terminus at the Claremont Apartments);
- Waterman/Eastway Frontage Road (Waterman Avenue to the Eastway Drive interchange at Independence Boulevard).
§ The remaining costs of the contract in the amount of $369,874 will cover project expenses including permitting fees, renderings/graphics, reproduction of plans and additional services.
§ On May 25, 2014, a Request for Qualifications was advertised; seven proposals were received from interested service providers.
§ AEA was selected using the Council-approved, qualifications-based selection process and best meets the City’s needs in terms of qualifications and experience of the firm and team members.
§ $12.5 million of the total $25 million funding for the Land Acquisition and Street Connections Program was approved by voters as part of the November 2014 Bond Referendum. The remaining $12.5 million in project funding is scheduled for the 2016 Bond Referendum.
§ Continuation to the construction phase for some of the projects included in this planning and design contract will be contingent on voter approval of the 2016 bonds.
Charlotte Business INClusion
The City negotiated subcontracting participation after the proposal selection process (Part C: Section 2.1(h) of the Charlotte Business INClusion Policy). American Engineering Associates - Southeast, P.A. has committed 10.00% ($231,011) of the total contract amount to the following certified firms:
• Hinde Engineering, Inc. (SBE) ($101,928) (utility coordination)
• Capstone Civil Group, PA (SBE, MBE) ($68,066) (geotechnical services)
• US Infrastructure of Carolina, Inc. (SBE) ($61,017) (draining services)
Fiscal Note
Transportation General Community Investment Plan
Attachments
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