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Port St. Joe staff racing to finalize grant scope for MLK streetscape and gym repairs; county provided $500,000
Summary
Grant manager and city staff told commissioners they must finalize cost estimates this week so a notice for a second public hearing can run Friday; county has provided $500,000 toward gym work and staff said a streetscape application would include burying utilities and sidewalks on MLK Boulevard.
Port St. Joe commissioners heard an update April 1 on pending grant applications to repair the city gym and to fund streetscaping work on Martin Luther King Boulevard, and staff said cost estimates must be ready this week so a public-notice advertisement can run Friday.
Patrick Howard, a grant manager with Red Cox Enterprises, told the commission his team has produced a “skeleton” scope and is assembling cost estimates that must be finalized by Friday so the city can publish the required notice for a second public hearing. “We have to have a cost estimate by Friday,” Howard said. He added the application summary that will accompany the hearing notice can remain high-level while the commission receives a fuller project summary later.
Commissioners and staff discussed how the gym work and MLK streetscape relate. Commissioners said burying power lines, installing sidewalks, and irrigation are expected elements of the MLK project. Howard said some elements of the Centennial Building estimate can be used as cost comparables for the gym work. He also said staff expects to include the MLK streetscape and the gym in the advertisement for the second public hearing.
Commissioner comments at the meeting reinforced that the city has already set aside some funds and that $500,000 the county delivered recently is available to be applied to gym repairs. A staff member confirmed the county’s $500,000 allocation is now in the county account and available for the project. Commissioners said they want regular updates and recommended putting the gym scope and related updates on future agendas so the public can follow progress.
The discussion did not produce a formal vote. Commissioners directed staff to finalize the cost estimates and to prepare the advertisement for the required second public hearing this week.
Why it matters: the grants under discussion will pay for long-delayed repairs to the gym and for MLK Boulevard streetscaping that could change sidewalks, utilities, and drainage in a central corridor of Port St. Joe. The city must complete the application steps on a tight timetable for the hearing ad to run Friday and for the grants to remain competitive.
What’s next: staff and Red Cox Enterprises will deliver the project cost estimates and the draft application summary to the commission before the advertisement deadline; a more detailed project summary and the formal application will be presented at a future meeting before final decisions on grant acceptance and any contract awards.
