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Urban Renewal Board approves owner’s‑representative contract for Heights Streetscape project
Summary
The Urban Renewal Agency authorized a time‑and‑materials contract not to exceed $350,000 to hire an owner’s representative (SOJ) to advance design and bidding for the Heights Streetscape; staff said available urban‑renewal funds total about $6.5 million and the full project will require additional funding.
The Hood River Urban Renewal Agency voted to authorize an owner’s representative contract not to exceed $350,000 for the Heights Streetscape implementation.
Staff summarized the role of an owner’s representative — coordinating design, bidding, coordination with utilities and integrating the project with other CIP work — and said the recommended firm, Shields, Obitz & Johnson (SOJ), came with strong references from TriMet and Prosper Portland. Dan Naughton was named as the individual who would be assigned to the city and cited experience on large infrastructure projects.
Agency staff explained that the contract will be billed on a time‑and‑materials basis, so the agency will only pay for work as completed; staff also said approximately $6.5 million remains in urban‑renewal funding but the full Heights work will likely require roughly $15 million more to complete the plan through construction.
Councilors and agency members discussed how SOJ will coordinate public engagement and reporting cadence; staff said city staff will retain primary responsibility for community engagement while SOJ focuses on technical and construction expertise. The board moved, seconded and approved the contract during the meeting.
Staff said additional funding sources and sequencing will be part of the next phases of work and committed to returning with a refined implementation plan and reporting metrics for agency review.
