Committee briefed on Rosemont Safe Routes to School construction contracts; original federalized work to council March 26, supplemental work later

The Economic Development Committee discussed an upcoming construction contract for the Rosemont Safe Routes to School project on March 3, 2025. Staff explained the item scheduled for city council on March 26 covers the original, federally funded scope of work; a supplemental scope added in 2023-24 will be handled separately as an amendment to an existing contract and is scheduled for a later council action.

Cameron Anderson, engineering program administrator with the Department of Transportation and Public Works, explained the decision to split the construction work into two council items. The original scope had already completed environmental clearance; adding the supplemental scope now would trigger a new environmental clearance process and could delay the project. Because the transportation alternatives program that funds some of the work carries a three-year funding window, staff said they separated the federalized original scope so procurement and clearances would not jeopardize the federal funding timeline. "We have to meet our 3 year funding deadlines," Anderson said.

Staff said the supplemental scope will be performed under an amendment (change order) to an existing on-call construction contract with Estrada Concrete Company rather than through a separate competitive bid. Anderson explained this approach avoids repeating the environmental clearance and helps the city meet funding deadlines. Committee members asked whether the two scopes overlap geographically and whether schedules will run sequentially or concurrently; staff said the supplemental scope begins where the federally funded portion ends and coordination will be required but the split was made primarily to preserve environmental clearance and funding timelines.

Councilmember West and other members asked that pedestrian crossings and connections to nearby neighborhoods and parks be reviewed to avoid gaps (for example, crossings at Canty, Montclair and Jefferson). Staff noted the original federalized scope will be the item before council on March 26 and the supplemental work27s contract amendment is expected to go to council on April 23, 2025.

No construction contract was executed during the committee meeting; staff described the procurement strategy and timeline and committed to coordination among contracts to avoid gaps in pedestrian access.