Athens EDC reviews $132,000 engineering proposal for industrial park expansion

The Athens Economic Development Corporation on March 24 reviewed an additional‑services engineering proposal from LJA totaling $132,000 plus reimbursable expenses to support a traffic study and hydrologic analysis for a 109‑acre industrial park tract.

Community Development Manager Donna Meredith introduced Stephen Schwind of LJA, who outlined the scope of the work and explained the study would inform future development and prospect readiness. Board members expressed concern about the proposal’s open‑ended reimbursable expenses and asked whether staff could impose a cap on those costs or seek a comparative proposal.

City Manager Elizabeth Borstad said seeking qualifications would not be a waste of time and the board agreed they were not under a time crunch to complete due diligence but that preparing the site before prospects emerged would be beneficial. Schwind said a cap on reimbursable expenses could be added to the scope.

The discussion focused on balancing thorough due diligence with cost control: several directors asked staff to explore either adding an expense cap or issuing a request for qualifications to get a second opinion on scope and price. No formal motion to approve the contract was recorded during the discussion; the board emphasized staff should return with options, including a capped reimbursables approach or comparison bids.

Next steps: staff will follow up with procurement options and any recommended contract changes for board consideration at a future meeting.