Council backs approving tunnel base contract and asks staff to return with stone/column alternatives

Assistant City Manager Bennett presented the Town Center pedestrian tunnel construction contract and an add-alternative to replace a guardrail with a structural stone-faced wall to create a consistent stone treatment visible from Medlock Bridge and the tunnel entrance.

"...not only the base contract, but also an ad alternative which would replace guardrail with a structural stone faced, wall," Bennett said, describing the visual treatment staff and engineers proposed. Council members welcomed the placemaking idea but raised the $400,000 cost estimate for a full stacked-stone wall and probed lower-cost alternatives such as self-standing stone columns or gateway markers that would not load the tunnel structure.

Staff advised the council it could approve the base bid now to allow mobilization and either return later with a change order or authorize an owner's allowance capped up front so the contractor would know an alternative may be executed only with staff or council authorization. Council members asked staff to return with comparative cost estimates and confirmed that approving the base contract would not, if replaced soon thereafter, derail the schedule as long as a final decision was made by Oct. 21.

Council also discussed funding: staff said the T SPOS fund's "unprogrammed" balance—revenue above expectations—exists as a source but that contingency and project balances are held per project and reallocation would require council direction. No final contract award was taken in the work session; staff will return with options and cost estimates.