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City staff preview lift-station and water-reclaim projects, explain cost and delivery changes
Summary
Utility staff gave the park board renderings and operational updates for a planned main lift station replacement and a water-reclaim tank; staff said final plans must be submitted to state regulators by March 2026 and noted value-engineering and a construction-manager-at-risk approach after initial bids exceeded expectations.
Paul, representing utility and engineering staff, briefed the Park Board on a planned replacement of the city’s main lift station (located between Rotary Riverside Park and Kowanas Park) and on a separate water-reclaim tank project for the municipal water treatment plant.
Paul said renderings were prepared so the board could comment on exterior facades and finishes; he emphasized that operational and reliability requirements drive layout decisions. He noted final plans for the lift station must be submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency by March 2026 and that construction is tentatively scheduled for 2027.
On the water-reclaim tank, Paul said the original design-and-bid approach returned bids substantially above estimates, prompting staff to change to a construction-manager-at-risk delivery to collaborate with contractors earlier and value-engineer scope to budget goals. He said staff’s current budget target is about $5.1–$5.6 million after changes and that a rock-face form-liner façade for three sides would add roughly $65,000 to the project if included; if budget pressure remains, operational work will take priority over exterior finishes.
Board members asked about materials (Hardie board vs. modular block) and whether a masonry look could be added later; Paul explained the form-liner approach must be done at pour time and cannot easily be retrofitted.
No formal action was required; staff will continue design-level work and return with refined costs and plans.
