Staff: possible north-side electrical connection could reduce archway costs; electrician, RFP next

City staff told the Urban Renewal Agency that a newly discovered electrical connection on the north side of the project area could substantially reduce the expense of running power across the street for the archway.

“...we've discovered a connection on the North Side, which will severely limit or I shouldn't say limit or reduce, the expense we thought we might incur going across the street for a connection,” a staff member said, noting the next steps are hiring an electrician to confirm feasibility and then issuing an RFP. The staff member also said Mid State Electric may be able to supply the required low-voltage power. The staff timeline anticipates an electrician visit in the next three to four days and an RFP to follow.

Staff also framed the update within broader recent community interest over proposed data centers, clarifying that no land-use application had appeared before the planning commission and that the data-center issue had taken staff time in recent weeks. The discovery about the electrical connection was described as potentially “good news” that could lower costs for the archway capital line already in the adopted budget.