MANSFIELD — The city’s Board of Control on Tuesday will be asked to approve a $837,288.80 contract with Smith Paving & Excavating for Glessner Avenue streetscape improvements.
This project is part of the West End Neighborhood Plan.
The company, based in Norwalk, was one of two entities to submit bids for the project, scheduled to begin this spring and completed by the end of summer.
The other bid was for $864,117.80 from D.L. Smith Concrete, also from Norwalk, according to documents submitted by Adrian Ackerman, director of community development in the city.
Mansfield City Council approved the project in December.
The plan, created by EDGE Landscape, Architecture, Urban Design and Planning, 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.
The first phase will update and upgrade sidewalks, install new street lighting and improved/update crosswalks (including ADA-compliant curb ramps), as well as retaining walls and more decorative elements such as tree lawns and other beautification efforts.
The bulk of the money for the project is coming via the city’s federal Community Development Block Grant funds, according to Ackerman.
The control board will also consider a proposal from Richland Engineer, LTD to serve as the inspector on the project. Ackerman said the company, based in Mansfield, was the only one to submit a letter of interest for the work.
Ackerman said inspection work normally costs between 10 and 12 percent of a project’s construction costs, which would put this work at around $100,000.
“Our project manager and construction experts are lifelong local area stakeholders having extensive experience working on design and construction of similar projects,” Richland Engineering said in a letter to Ackerman.
“We are minutes away from the project location. This unique attribute will provide seamless interaction with city personnel and direction attention to the project requirements.”
She said he hopes to have a dollar amount in hand before the Control Board meets on Tuesday.
With Board of Control approval, Ackerman said, the work can finally begin on a project that was first conceived in 2020 by local public and private officials.
“As soon as they are able,” Ackerman said. “The sooner the better. We have some HUD deadlines looming and I am definitely excited to get it started.”
