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Allen Council approves $567,839 contract to rebuild City Hall front steps to improve accessibility
Summary
The Allen City Council approved a $567,839 contract with North Rock Construction Associates to reconstruct City Hall’s front steps, citing long-term settling, trip hazards and improved access for elderly and mobility‑impaired visitors; staff said the project budget is $631,000 and work could take about 90 days.
Director Hector Flanagan presented a plan to remove and reconstruct the front steps of Allen City Hall, citing years of settling, cracking and tripping hazards and the current ramp’s impractical routing for people with mobility needs.
Flanagan told the council that the redesign would integrate an accessible approach into the main entry sequence rather than relying on a long, rarely used ramp, and that the city used a request‑for‑proposals process to evaluate bidders on price, experience and schedule. “The steps are settling and cracking, subsiding,” Flanagan said, describing the structural problems that led staff to propose a full reconstruction.
Staff said the overall budget for the project is $631,000 (which includes engineering and testing), the contracted construction period is 90 days, and the city expects to route public access around the work. Flanagan warned that the front sliding doors will be inaccessible during construction and that staff plans to meet with the contractor immediately if council approved the award to possibly begin work before year‑end.
Council Member (Speaker 7) moved to award the construction contract to North Rock Construction Associates LLC for $567,839.33; the motion was seconded and the council approved the award. Speaker 7 emphasized the project’s priority for residents: “This is a priority for our residents.”
The contract award authorizes the city manager to execute the agreement and to use facility maintenance funds to cover engineering and material testing costs. Staff noted earlier budget discussion at the council’s budget workshop where $550,000 had been requested; the final project budget accounts for additional testing and contingencies.
The project timeline and temporary loss of the primary entry are the immediate next steps; staff said they will schedule construction to minimize disruption and anticipate a roughly 90‑day construction window. The council provided the authorization required to proceed.
The council approved the item and the city will return to the public with construction notices and staging details once procurement paperwork is finalized.
