Lincoln council approves up to $53,570 to shore and repair exposed wall at 129 S. Sangamon Street

The Lincoln City Council on Tuesday approved a contract amendment with Jaren Industries not to exceed $53,570 to shore and rehabilitate an exposed wall at 129 South Sangamon Street, the site of a recent downtown fire and partial building demolition. The vote included a condition that the city secure the property owner's consent and a signed release of liability before work begins.

Council members debated the scope and cost for roughly an hour and a half, centering on whether to use a flowable fill (a self-compacting concrete) recommended by the city's structural engineer or to place compacted clay/dirt that some aldermen said would be cheaper and adequate. Alderman Bateman, who moved the original motion to accept Jaren's bid, said the work is needed to address safety and downtown aesthetics: "It's an eyesore in my ward," he said, adding the not-to-exceed figure included contingency so the contractor would not have to return for extra funds.

Alderman Eimer opposed the flowable-fill portion and called that expense unnecessary, saying, "Clay, dirt will work just fine. You can put dirt in this hole. I wouldn't look at it." Eimer offered an amendment to eliminate the flowable fill and the proposed painting and instead use clay dirt and only finish tuckpointing; that amendment failed on a 3-5 roll call. Multiple council members pressed staff and the city's engineer for clarification about stability, compaction needs and whether use of dirt could create lateral pressure on the remaining foundation wall.

City staff and the project engineer explained that flowable fill is faster-setting and more stable for the exposed foundation conditions, and that compacting loose material near the wall could risk creating lateral stresses. "The flowable fill would stabilize the foundation part of that wall," a city construction representative said. City staff said Jaren had priced the work after the demolition exposed the wall and that the $20,000 estimate for flowable fill and $28,700 estimate for wall rehabilitation were supplied as a single lump bid of $48,700; the council later adjusted the total to $53,570 to reflect a 10% contingency.

The city attorney urged the council to secure a release of liability from the owner before stepping onto private property to perform any non-emergency work. "Before we actually step onto that property and do work on it, you know, that we will get a release of liability of some nature from the person who owns that or will be owning it," the attorney said during the meeting.

Council members also noted the broader context: the city has spent roughly $106,000 so far responding to the fire and demolition, after insurance recoveries, and some aldermen argued the repair work could make the lot more presentable to visitors arriving by Amtrak. Others said painting and cosmetic work should wait until a sale is complete or up to a future owner.

The final amended approval—moved by Alderman Parrott and seconded by Alderman Sanders—passed on the council floor. Council records and staff said work would be scheduled with the contractor and begin "weather permitting" once the owner's consent and release paperwork are in hand.