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Casa Grande council accepts Florence Boulevard concept plan, directs design of freeway segment
Summary
The City Council accepted a conceptual design report for the nearly 5-mile Florence Boulevard corridor and approved moving forward with detailed design of the freeway segment as phase 1, with $3.9 million programmed for design and $250,000 for entry signage.
Casa Grande — The City Council on May 20 accepted a Florence Boulevard Design Concept Report and approved moving forward with design work on the freeway segment as phase 1, city staff said.
The action, adopted by resolution No. 5771, sends staff to develop engineering and construction documents for the freeway segment and to issue a request for qualifications to hire a design consultant. The city budget includes about $3,900,000 to begin design of phase 1 and $250,000 for entryway signs, staff told council.
The report divides Florence Boulevard into three segments — downtown, midtown and freeway — and proposes different cross-sections for each. The downtown segment would remain five lanes with a continuous enhanced center turn lane and limited right-of-way opportunities for bike lanes; the midtown segment would remain four lanes with a median, bike lanes and bus pullouts; and the freeway segment would expand to six travel lanes with a median, wide sidewalks and a separated bike lane, the presentation said.
Council discussion focused on design details and next steps. One council member said he wanted the new entry signs to be legible during daytime as well as at night, saying, “I just like it to pop in the daytime as much as it does at night.” City staff responded that the plan accepted by council is conceptual and that designers will present multiple options during the design phase and additional public outreach.
Staff emphasized that accepting the concept does not finalize design decisions: the next step is technical right-of-way analysis and preparation of construction documents for the freeway segment, with continued coordination with property owners along the corridor. The council previously directed that the downtown segment remain five lanes and indicated a desire to prioritize the freeway segment because its large undeveloped tracts may allow earlier coordination with developers.
Resolution 5771 passed by roll-call vote with all members voting yes.
Council members said public outreach and further design choices will be part of later phases; staff will return with refined plans, phasing alternatives if needed and procurement steps for consultant selection.
