Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mlk Streetscape topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MLK Avenue streetscape reaches 90% design; construction estimated near $7 million, funding gap remains
Summary
City staff reported near-complete design for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue streetscape — including two travel lanes, on-street parking and 6-foot sidewalks — but construction funding has not been secured after a RAISE grant denial.
City of St. Augustine staff told the Community Redevelopment Agency that the Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue streetscape project is at near-final design, but the city does not yet have construction funding.
Jamie D. Perkins, the city’s Community Services Director, said the project is at about 90% design and that “we pretty much have 100% design documents and could be ready to put this on the street for bid.” Perkins described the planned cross section as two 10-foot travel lanes, a seven-foot parking lane on the east side and six-foot sidewalks on both sides, all within the existing 40-foot right of way.
Perkins told the board the preliminary construction cost estimate is around $7,000,000. Staff sought a U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant; Perkins said the city was not awarded that grant and is pursuing other funding opportunities. She also said the project will require permanent easements to underground electric lines, many of which are on private property, and that city staff are coordinating with the landscape architect to finalize proposed easement footprints before approaching property owners.
Why it matters: the MLK Avenue project would reconstruct sidewalks, parking and utilities along a long-standing corridor, and the funding gap means construction cannot be scheduled until additional grants or local allocations are secured.
Board discussion and next steps
Board members asked about tree canopy and shade along MLK; Perkins said shade trees and plantings are identified in the design and that staff is working to incorporate shade-tree plantings along the corridor where feasible. Perkins said staff will continue to pursue grant and funding opportunities and will return when construction funding is identified.
Speakers for this article: Jamie D. Perkins (Community Services Director).
