WORTHINGTON --Plans and specifications for about $4 million in infrastructure improvements in an area near the city's Bioscience Industrial Park were approved Monday night by the Worthington City Council.
City Engineer Dwayne Haffield explained that improvements will include construction of left- and right-turn lanes on U.S. 59 at Bioscience Drive, realignment and widening of County Ditch 12 (and new U.S. 59 culverts at that ditch) and installation of culverts for the future Bioscience Drive crossing of that ditch, as well as extensions of sewer and water mains and construction of storm water retention basins.
Council members approved the plans, originally by developed the engineering firm Bolton and Menck of Mankato, with three amendments in place. The total estimated project cost including all engineering and contingencies is $4,171,690.
"The project is to be funded utilizing local, Transportation Economic Development (TED) and Minnesota Department of Transportation District 7 Highway funds," Haffield said. "The TED grant program involves both MnDOT and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) funding. The MnDOT funding program allows participation of up to 70 percent of trunk highway improvements, while the DEED funding is for up to 50 percent of infrastructure improvement costs that are not related to the trunk highway."
With contingencies, TED funding encompasses $2,050,000 of the total cost. Funding from MnDOT District 7 is $100,000, while DEED is contributing $500,000. The city share is $1,521,690.
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Hospital legacy funds -- originating from the Worthington Regional Hospital Sale -- will be the primary source of local funding. The council committed $1.4 million of local funds to the project during its Feb. 14, 2011, meeting.
In another matter Monday, council members awarded several contracts for the construction of the event center. Awarded bids were:
VIP Floral & Garden Center, Slayton, $51,890 for landscaping; Groninga Construction, Worthington, $147,181 for cast in place concrete; Larson Contracting, Lake Mills, Iowa, $231,268 for general carpentry; Arch Roof & Sheet Metal, Sioux Falls, S.D., $150,265 for roofing and sheet metal; Northwest Glass Co., Spencer, Iowa, $55,788 for aluminum entrance/windows/glazing; Sands Drywall Inc., Sioux Falls, $198,923 for drywall/framing/acoustic ceilings; Stucco America, Lake Mills, Wis., $37,667 for exterior insulation finishing system; Commercial Interior Décor Inc., Sioux Falls, $87,647 for resilient flooring/carpet/tile; Hanson Painting Inc., Sioux Falls, $47,870 for painting; J&B Walls Inc., Rochester, $47,304 for folding panel partitions; Breth Zen Fire Protection, St. Joseph, $26,465 for fire protection; Prairie Suns Inc., Brandon, S.D., $113,700 for plumbing and piping; Dave Vorseth HVAC, Sioux Falls, S.D., $107,000 for HVAC; and Electric Supply Co., Sioux Falls, $277,891 for electrical.
Masonry bids were rejected on recommendation of general contractor Consolidated Construction Co. of Appleton, Wis. New quotes will be sought for presentation at the Sept. 10 council meeting.
In other business, the council:
* Heard a presentation from Jennifer Prins, Community Development Director for Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, on the city's current Small Cities Development Program grant.
The grant, received by the city in 2010, allows for rehabilitation of 18 properties. Prins said at this point, 11 rehab projects have been completed while six are in progress and another still in the works. A total of $254,000 in rehabilitation has been done.
"There is a lot of interest in residential rehabilitation in Worthington and surrounding communities," said Prins, noting that all residences are owner-occupied and all but two in Worthington.
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* Accepted a request from Kyle Hain to place a bench within Pleasant Park in memory of Mitchell Benson. The bench will be manufactured by Bedford Technology, will be six feet long and bear the inscription, "In Loving Memory of Mitchell 'Benny' Benson. Donated By His many Loving Friends." Benson, a 2010 Worthington High School graduate, died in an auto accident earlier this month.
Daily Globe Managing Editor Ryan McGaughey may be reached at
376-7320.
