Fort Pierce agency approves $45,654 change order to fix Highwaymen Museum parking-lot pitch

The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday approved a change order of up to $45,654.20 to lower and regrade the parking lot at the Highwaymen Museum to stop stormwater from running into the building.

The change order — described to commissioners by Clifford Moore, CEO of Journey CND Group Inc., the project's licensed general contractor — will remove 5 to 6 inches of existing pavement in the parking area, regrade the surface and pitch it toward an existing city drain. Moore said an engineer already has surveyed the site and will determine the final elevation and pitch. “We're gonna pull back about 5 to 6 inches...and then build it back to be at grade and pitch it towards the drain,” Moore said.

The new work addresses repeated water intrusion at the museum's entryway. Commissioners pressed for specifics on where stormwater would go; Moore said the work ties into the existing stormwater system and that the drain in the center of the lot will be lowered to match the new elevation so runoff remains on the property and does not flow into adjacent streets or neighboring parcels.

Why it matters: Museum leaders and commissioners said preventing further water damage is essential to protect the building and the artwork planned for display. The commission voted unanimously to approve the change order after the contractor’s explanation.

Discussion vs. future work: During the same item, contractor Clifford Moore and commissioners outlined several additional potential change orders that were not part of the approved $45,654.20: - A proposed dumpster enclosure, which Moore estimated “probably ... under $10,000,” would require a separate approval if pursued. Moore said it “wasn't originally part of the scope” but was being explored. - A broken window replacement already ordered was cited as approximately $1,200; Moore said the window took a long time to procure and had been ordered to avoid further delay. - To address a slope off the elevator on the museum’s second floor, the contractor estimated an approach using roughly 53 sheets of plywood at about $55 per sheet, with materials and installation “in the ballpark of $4,500 to $4,700.” Moore said a formal change order would be presented later if the board wanted to proceed.

Security and glazing: Commissioners discussed hardening the building’s glazing after a rock broke an existing window. Commissioner Broderick said he had “signed deposit checks today for $64,000 worth of impact glass windows” and urged the board to consider impact-rated glazing to protect future artworks and deter vandalism. Broderick and other commissioners suggested obtaining formal proposals for impact glass installation; Moore said he would solicit subcontractor bids.

Vote and next steps: The motion to approve Change Order No. 12 (Journey CND Group Inc., not to exceed $45,654.20) passed unanimously (yes votes from Commissioners Broderick, Gaines, Johnson, Taylor and Chairwoman Hudson). Moore and staff said they would return with any additional change-order requests for the dumpster, impact glazing or flooring when precise scopes and quotes were ready.

The approval authorizes the contractor to proceed with the parking-lot elevation correction; the engineering firm already engaged for calculations will finalize required elevations and tie-ins to the city stormwater system before work proceeds.