Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Undergrounding electric lines in Midtown faces big costs, transformer and conduit hurdles
Summary
Staff told council preliminary FPL estimates for Phase 1 undergrounding were $6–7M (likely low), transformer relocations require large easements and communication providers must be coordinated. City will pursue undergrounding in Phase 2 and add conduit for city fiber but cannot force private companies to use it.
City staff outlined technical and cost challenges to undergrounding electric distribution in the Midtown infrastructure project and said the work will require extensive coordination with utilities and communications companies.
Nicole Setzer, who presented the Midtown maps, said the city recently awarded construction contracts for Phase 1 (water, sewer, stormwater and streetscape) and will not pursue undergrounding for Phase 1 because construction is imminent. "They came back with a very, very preliminary estimate of somewhere 6 to $7,000,000. We think that is probably low based on our past experience with them," Setzer said of a preliminary FPL cost estimate. She explained that pole-mounted transformers must be placed on the ground when lines are buried, often requiring 25-by-25-foot easements or a 25-by-40-foot grouped footprint for switch cabinets outside the right of way.
Setzer and IT Director Rich Calkins also described fiber and conduit strategy: the city plans to place conduit sized for future city fiber and a Midtown fiber ring, but private firms are currently installing fiber in overlapping footprints. "They're putting conduit and fiber in all at once," Calkins said, describing what he called an "arms race" of private fiber deployments after Hurricane Ian. Staff said the city can control where new facilities go along the sidewalk and that some earlier vendor agreements (a 'sci fi network' partner) effectively failed and should be formally revoked to clear the way for future proposals.
Council members raised streetscape and placemaking concerns for transformer cabinets and asked staff to consider landscaping and design to reduce visual impacts. Staff said they will pursue design and cost estimates for Phase 2 undergrounding and coordinate with CenturyLink, Comcast and FPL before returning with recommendations.
What comes next: staff will develop Phase 2 designs including transformer siting/easement needs, obtain more detailed FPL cost estimates and return to council with a recommendation on undergrounding scope and conduit strategy.
