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Council approves additional funds to revise Amtrak platform design after property negotiations change plans
Summary
City council authorized an amendment to the AECOM contract for Amtrak rail platform design, increasing the not‑to‑exceed amount to $396,500.51 to cover design work related to an easement and Amtrak/CSX requirements.
City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the city manager to amend the existing agreement with AECOM Technical Services Inc. to develop revised construction plans and specifications for a proposed Amtrak rail platform.
Mike (city staff) told council the project has progressed since the 2021 contract but negotiations over property acquisition required a revised design that shifts the platform approach to the southern end of the SDS pizza site and relies on an easement. That alignment will require additional environmental studies, hydrogeotechnical work and retaining walls to meet Amtrak and CSX design standards, which staff said exceed normal city or state design requirements.
Council was asked to amend the AECOM contract. The original council authorization for design was $250,000, and staff reported about $183,000 had been spent to date. Additional costs were estimated at $133,000 plus a 10% contingency (~$13,000). The amended not‑to‑exceed contract amount presented to council was $396,500.51. City staff said the multimodal Chestnut Fields facility (a Butler County RTA facility) would provide the waiting room for the platform and a direct pedestrian connection to the platform is planned.
Council voted in favor of the resolution. No amendment to the amount was recorded during the meeting. Council members asked questions about pedestrian connections at the nearby South Main and Chestnut intersection; staff noted dovetailed safety and right‑of‑way constraints relating to railroad setback standards.
