MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Board of Control on Tuesday approved a $45,000 contract with K.E. MCartney & Associates for design work and application assistance in seeking about $2.5 million in federal road construction grants.
Those grants would be used to just design the two projects — each of which would cost far more than $5 million to construct, according to city engineer Bob Bianchi.
One of the projects would install a large, single-lane roundabout to “improve the connection of North Main and North Diamond streets” to improve traffic flow and to also create a multi-use path that would extend the Richland B&O Bike Trail from North Lake Park to Main Street.
The second would improve and widen Ohio 13 from the northern U.S. 30 ramp to Airport Road, including a left-hand turn lane along the corridor and installing a large, single-lane roundabout at the intersection with Harrington Memorial Road.
Bianchi said Friday the city hopes to obtain funds through the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, which helps communities around the country carry out big-ticket projects with significant local or regional impact.
“The city is hopeful it will be competitive in seeking the grants,” Bianchi told Control Board members Tuesday.
Mayor Tim Theaker and Public Works Director Dave Remy voted in favor of the plan. Finance Director Linn Steward abstained.
Bianchi said McCartney would bill by the hour for its assistance and the contract will not exceed $45,000.
As part of that total, EDGE will create a total of four 3-D graphics to be used in the application process.
“The idea of these projects … these are big projects,” Bianchi said Friday. “We want to have big projects in Mansfield.
“The federal government has infused $1.5 billion into the (RAISE) program for fiscal year 2022. We want to make sure we raise our hand to try to get dollars for these projects.”
If grant funds are obtained to do the design work, the city would then apply for additional RAISE grants to do the actual construction, Bianchi said.
The hope is if the federal program deems the projects worthy of design funds that it would then believe them suitable construction funds, the engineer said.
The deadline for applications is April 14 and selections will be announced no later than Aug. 12.
Also on Tuesday, the Control Board approved a $123,872 contract with Richland Engineering of Mansfield to provide construction administration services on the first phase of the West End Neighborhood Plan.
The plan, created by EDGE, is aimed at improving an area whose geographic boundaries are generally Marion Avenue/Park Avenue West to the west and north; South Main Street to the east; and Glessner Avenue to the south.
The first phase of the public/private partnership project, with an estimated construction cost of $1 million, will improve Glessner Avenue between Wood Street and Sturges and Arthur avenues.
