Hobart redevelopment authority authorizes Wisconsin Street bridge bidding, approves Maryville Heights engineering task order

The Hobart City Redevelopment Authority on Monday authorized staff to advertise for bids on the Wisconsin Street Bridge Project and approved an engineering task order for sewer planning in Maryville Heights, the board said at its regular meeting.

The board voted to accept revised plans and specifications for the Wisconsin Street Bridge and to authorize staff to advertise the project for competitive bids. Director (Speaker 6) said the plan set includes demolition of an adjacent bait-shop structure, slight roadway widening to accommodate a sidewalk and handrails, and a revised cost estimate tied in part to a comparable South Bend project. "It's gonna be about 3,100,000," Director (Speaker 6) said when describing the engineer's order-of-magnitude estimate for the overall project. Chair (Speaker 2) moved the motion to accept the plans and authorize bidding; the motion was seconded and approved.

The board also approved a task order for planning and engineering work on a pipe relining and capacity project serving Maryville Heights and Brookview, to ensure sewer capacity for a nearby data-center development. The motion approved a task order in the amount recorded in the meeting: $177,135. The director said the cost-reimbursement arrangement with the developer will be formalized in a separate agreement and staff will work with the clerk and other offices on payment mechanics.

Separately, the board approved a professional services agreement to produce design, abatement specifications and bidding documents for demolition and asbestos remediation at an identified facility. Jeff from Americo (Speaker 7), the presenter, described asbestos contamination and said his firm would prepare bid-ready documents, conduct sampling and oversee project management and bidding. The transcript records Americo offering a rough cost estimate during the discussion; the amount in the record is unclear and not specified in the board motion. Jeff said, "Once we're done, they'll be clean and ready to be knocked down," describing the goal of the abatement and demolition work.

Director (Speaker 6) also updated the board on other infrastructure matters: utility coordination at a business center, pending FEMA permit modeling requests, near-complete Harbor Club designs awaiting a railroad permit, and a proposed time-and-material maintenance contract to enable faster emergency stormwater and sanitary repairs.

What happens next: staff said the Wisconsin Street bridge advertisement would be published for the standard period, followed by a pre-bid meeting and Q&A; the engineer anticipated returning recommended bid awards to the board in mid- to late March or at the first April meeting. The Maryville Heights task order will proceed under the approved task order and staff plans to bring a reimbursement agreement to the board for finalization.