Grand Forks' Corporate and Central parking ramp repairs 33% lower than estimate

Yahoo

26-11-2024

Nov. 25—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks City Council reviewed bids for improvements at the Central and Corporate parking ramps during its Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night.
The council recommended approving the $1,572,800 bid from Western Construction Group for repairs to the ramps to ensure they last well into the future. The bid was 33% lower than the estimate Houston Engineering made for the project, meaning the city will pursue replacing the Central Ramp's elevator in a separate bid package.
"This is good news. We don't always have good bids that come in," Planning and Community Development Director Ryan Brooks told the council. Brooks also told the council the elevator bid would be next on the to-do list.
Most of the work is concentrated in the Corporate Ramp, with repairs to concrete and structural ties. Going forward, the city hopes to avoid having to do large capital repairs all at once for the ramps and instead spread out the repair work. The city budgeted $1.98 million in the 2025 budget for repairs to the ramp and
also began doing annual transfers into the parking ramp capital fund to fund future projects.
The city is transferring funds from economic development, starting at $50,000 a year with transfers growing to $100,000 a year by 2030. City staff members hope to make the ramps self-sufficient in the future. Earlier this year, rates at the ramps were raised
for the first time since 2015
.
According to a September 2023 condition assessments on the ramps, both ramps are in good condition structurally but need maintenance to preserve long-term use. Both ramps have deteriorated from the North Dakota winters and water seepage. At that time, it was estimated that the Corporate Ramp needed more than $682,000 in repairs and the Central Ramp needed more than $283,000, not including potential design and engineering costs incurred.
This isn't the only parking ramp project underway in Grand Forks. The Grand Forks County Ramp
was closed for much of the summer for a $3 million rehabilitation project.
A potential property swap between the city and county, as the county has limited capital funds, was discussed but ultimately went nowhere due to the costs of the rehabilitation. To fund it, the county used American Rescue Plan dollars.
In other news, the council:
* Reviewed the city's 2025 North Dakota legislative priorities.
Much is the same as the 2023 session, with emphasis
on "prairie dog" infrastructure funding being moved ahead in priority and ending administrative fees for 911 operations that phone companies charge.
* Reviewed the 2025 Arts Regrant program. This is the second year the city has administered the disbursement of funds. A total of $159,135 will be given to 17 organizations.