Evansville Public Works Board approves contracts, change orders and permits; Market Street affordable units cut from 59 to 24

The Evansville City Board of Public Works on April 17 approved a series of contractual agreements, change orders and right-of-way permits and opened bids for the city's 2025 mill-and-overlay Phase 2 street project.

The board approved an amendment to a $2.5 million agreement for Market Street Apartments at 304 Market Street that reduces the number of affordable units from 59 to 24, each targeted to households with incomes at or below 65% of area median income. Rebecca Butcher, addressing the board, said the project's renovation costs exceeded initial estimates and that the full contracted funds had already been expended on repairs including extensive water and mold damage. The board approved the amendment by voice vote; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the meeting transcript.

The amendment preserves a smaller number of income-restricted units tied to the original funding while reflecting higher-than-expected construction and repair costs, officials said. "The project was'it exceeded $2,500,000.0. The overall project, the renovations were incredible," Butcher…