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Council approves design contract for Civic Center Loop Phase 2, adds barn-restoration review
Summary
Council approved a not-to-exceed $67,700 professional services contract with Spalding Decker Associates to design Phase 2 of the Civic Center Loop and to assess options for preserving the adjacent barn, with cost-sharing by the DDA and a small CDBG budget amendment of $8,850.
The Wixom City Council voted Dec. 16 to approve a professional services agreement with Spalding Decker Associates Inc. for design of Civic Center Loop Phase 2 and associated scope work, not to exceed $67,700.
Assistant City Manager Drew Benson told council the project builds on an initial half-mile loop around the civic campus and would add roughly a quarter-mile extension plus planning for amenities and a structural assessment of an adjacent deteriorating barn. The recommended firm includes a third-party barn-restoration expert as part of the team, a capability staff and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) found valuable during interviews.
Benson said the work was budgeted for the fiscal year and that the expense will be split between the city and the DDA; the proposal also uses $8,850 in the city's CDBG allocation and therefore needs a budget amendment. The DDA voted to recommend the contract on Dec. 11.
Council members asked why the recommended bid was not the lowest; staff explained proposals varied in how firms priced the work (hourly estimates, lump-sum packages and differing line-item detail) and that some lower bids omitted elements present in Spalding Decker's proposal. Council discussed the planned community engagement and a steering committee that will guide decisions about the barn and amenities.
Council moved, seconded and passed the motion to award the contract and authorize the budget amendment, enabling Spalding Decker to begin design and produce plan sets and engineer cost opinions that will allow more informed future decisions about construction and any barn stabilization or restoration.
The contract includes bidding support so the city will have the option to proceed with partial or full bids for the scope once designs and cost estimates are complete. The timeline presented contemplates the potential to have plans ready for bidding within the next year to 18 months depending on scope decisions and community input.
