River Falls staff outline downtown reconstruction needs, seek federal BUILD and Safe Streets funding

River Falls staff briefed the Planning Commission on March 3 on a proposed downtown reconstruction that would replace aging water, sewer and electrical infrastructure, improve pedestrian safety and remake Main Street if the city is able to secure federal funding.

Emily Shively, assistant director of community development, said staff have focused the project on city-controlled rights-of-way — Main Street, 2nd Street, Division and adjacent alleys and the Riverwalk — and have gathered existing plans and infrastructure data to shape a scope for future public engagement. "We have a good basis already," Shively said, describing the work that followed the Focus River Falls planning updates.

Todd Nikleski, the city engineer, told commissioners the city received $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to prepare a Safe Streets and Roads for All safety-action plan and that the city is about three-quarters finished with that plan. "We were awarded $200,000 from the United States Department of Transportation to prepare the safety action plan," Nikleski said. He added that adoption of the safety-action plan by the council would allow the city to apply for demonstration and implementation grants.

Nikleski also said the city submitted a BUILD grant application seeking up to $25,000,000 to pay for surface-transportation and storm-sewer work in the downtown project area. "We submitted a build grant application about a week and a half ago ... that's for a $25,000,000 grant to fund downtown," he said, adding that the city hopes to know award status in early summer.

Staff described the infrastructure problems driving the proposal: downtown sanitary sewer lines are old clay-tile mains with some failed building laterals and shared services between adjacent properties; water mains in the project area are likely from about 1900 and are undersized by modern standards; and overhead electric and communications lines in alleys complicate reconstruction. The city must also identify service-line materials by 2027 under federal guidance to determine possible lead service lines.

On costs, Nikleski offered a rough estimate for water and sewer replacement in the project area of about $5 million to $6 million. He cautioned the figure was ballpark and that detailed design will refine cost estimates. The city previously asked council to authorize a consulting contract of roughly $40,000 to study signal timing at nine intersections after a 2025 demonstration grant application was unsuccessful; Nikleski said that work will proceed with data collection planned in spring.

Staff outlined a phased construction approach to reduce business disruption, suggesting the work could be completed in two to three phases over multiple construction seasons. In a best-case schedule provided by staff, planning and engineering would run from 2027 to 2029, with permitting, bidding and work leading to a construction start as early as summer 2030 and project completion by 2032.

Commissioners asked whether businesses would bear costs to replace building laterals that connect to the public sewer; Nikleski said property owners currently own laterals and the city will determine how to sequence and allocate costs during design. Commissioners also discussed parking inventory and wayfinding after a recent student study indicated underused public lots.

Shively closed with a planning update: the city council recently passed most of an ordinance amendment package on housing except for driveway-width provisions, and staff will return to the commission in April to revisit stormwater impacts and other items. The commission adjourned after the presentation.

Next steps: staff expect the safety-action plan to come to the Planning Commission and city council in draft form in the coming months, will continue to pursue BUILD and Safe Streets implementation grants, and will advance signal-timing and infrastructure inventory work once funding or consulting agreements are in place.