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Town Creek daylighting project: board hears $22.5 million project overview, $1.24 million water/sewer share
Summary
Board members received an update on the Town Creek daylighting project. The total project is near $22.5 million; staff said water and sewer relocations that the Water Resources Department may fund total about $1.24 million, with roughly $200,000 of work identified as park‑only improvements staff will ask the city to fund.
Board members received an update on the Town Creek daylighting and downtown restoration project and the water and sewer relocations tied to the work.
Staff said the city opened bids on the daylighting project and that the project’s overall cost is roughly $22.5 million. At the time of bid opening the department learned the city would fund required water and sewer relocations, and staff later identified approximately $1.24 million in quantities related to water and sewer work that the Water Resources Department would cover if the board does not secure city funding for park‑only improvements.
Staff noted roughly $200,000 in items described as park‑only improvements — an 8‑inch water main segment near the planned pedestrian bridge and an 8‑inch sewer extension into the park — that do not appear to serve future buildings and therefore could be requested from city funds rather than the water department’s budget. Staff said they will discuss those items with city staff (named Darren in the meeting) to see if the city will fund them.
Board members asked about updated cost estimates; staff said prior “back‑of‑the‑napkin” estimates were lower, and that current estimates show the water/sewer participation is about $1.2 million. The board was also told the city council has approved the overall project funding; the board does not need to act on the full project approval itself.
Staff said utility relocations are expected to be among the earliest construction activities and that a preconstruction meeting is planned for about March. The timeline for ARPA funding use was discussed; staff said ARPA funds must be drawn by a stated project deadline (referred to in the meeting as the fall funding deadline), and that some portions of the project will be prioritized to meet funding timing. The board heard that utilities, electric work and erosion control are immediate construction priorities.
No board vote was required on the overall project during this meeting. Staff said they will add the department’s water/sewer obligations to their project dashboard and monitor reserves and budget impacts; staff estimated the department can cover the work from reserves but emphasized the request is largely a principle issue rather than an immediate solvency problem.
