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Fernandina Beach staff outline major Alachua Street (Area 5) repairs after contractor change; cost estimate rises to $7.4 million
Summary
City staff told the CRA advisory board that the Area 5/Alachua Street project’s original contract was cancelled last year and restarting the work with a new contractor increased the estimated completion cost to about $7.4 million; funding will come from multiple local sources and a signed agreement with 1st Coast Railroad (about $955,000) moves the railroad work forward.
Jake, a city staff member, told the CRA advisory board that what’s commonly called Area 5 or the Alachua Street project has seen large cost escalations after a contract cancellation last year. “TGE utilities was granted that contract at $2,400,000 in July 2021… November of last year that contract with TG utilities was cancelled and… we came back with the number of $7,400,000 to complete the project,” he said.
The change primarily reflects materials and supply-chain issues and a revised scope that leans on in-house utility work for the underground drainage system. Jake described the funding mix as stormwater utility funds, reallocated ARPA funds, CRA revenue-bond proceeds and other local sources to cover the revised cost.
A major procedural step reported to the board was a construction-maintenance agreement with 1st Coast Railroad. “That agreement is for $955,000,” Jake said, adding that the railroad will carry their design and engineering through a separate bid process and install concrete pads at the crossing; the city’s contractors will then tie the road surface into those pads. Staff said the railroad portion will go out to bid under the railroad’s process.
The board also discussed technical details of the drainage system, including an infiltration gallery routed within a 60-foot right-of-way, tie-ins to existing 24-inch and 18-inch lines, and plans to grout and remove a south-side structure that has been trapping gravel. Commissioners and staff noted the original design included pumps that would have actively removed stormwater; without those pumps, the revised project relies on check valves and manual pumping when necessary. As Jake put it, the check valve system “will prevent [water] from coming back up the storm system,” but without pumps “it will have to be manually pumped out.”
Staff gave a tentative schedule for construction sequencing: the railroad’s design and pad installations precede the city’s roadway work, with some construction elements anticipated in the fall. Staff said Army Corps and Water Management District permitting will run in parallel for other related work.
Next steps: staff will continue coordinating with the railroad and finalize contractor agreements; the board asked for contract timeframes to be specified and for updated plans and permit status to be shared at a future meeting.
