After weeks of seeing little action on the 51 Ave redevelopment project, construction crews have finally started laying the foundation for surface work.
Late last week crews could be seen moving dirt back into place and creating the basis for a roadbed. The hope is that a basic dirt road covered in gravel will be in place by the first week of September.
“They tell me there is a special emphasis on having (the portion in front of the post office) plus 51 Ave east to 49th Street done in time for when the kids are back in school,” said Assistant CAO Bill Rogers at a Town Council meeting last week.
“Originally we were told the concrete work would be done (two weeks ago),” added Rogers. “I questioned the contractors on that and now we are being told the concrete work should start (this week) or the week after that.”
Town Councilors and Mayor Gene Sobolewski voiced their frustrations over the management of the project at their Aug. 25 council meeting.
Local officials have received a variety of complaints from business owners along the construction zone, as well as citizens who have had a hard time making their way to and from the post office.
“I am not happy with the way it has been done, but administration is doing the best that they can,” said Sobolewski, noting that the slow work on the project is not due to the fault of the Town. “We contracted (the project out) and paid big dollars for someone to get the designs right, the project management right and to understand the job.”
At a previous Town Council meeting in June the contractor told local representatives that the paving on 50 Street by Brosseau's Department Store and the post office would be complete by Aug. 30.
While the deadline of this past Sunday was promised to Council, administration's hands are tied, as the official completion date isn't until mid-October.
“Contractually, the signing on the dotted line is Oct. 15,” said Sobolewksi. “However I am quite upset with the fact that the people we hired to look after our best interests…something was missed.”
The massive road project, which is expected to cost the municipality nearly $5.7 million, has been in the works for the better part of a year.
While funding for the redevelopment was in question, Council opted to push forward with the construction project as the infrastructure was crumbling and leading to water main breaks all over the town.
Underground work to replace the aging cast iron pipes on 51 Ave from 46 Street to 50 Street has been complete, with construction crews filling it in. Once a basic roadbed gets created the entire stretch of roads will all receiving paving and asphalt at the same time.
In order for the project to be completed for the Aug. 30 promised deadline paving would have had to start during the middle weeks of the month. Set backs have now pushed the
“If you talk to anybody at the TD Bank, anybody at Brosseau's, and any senior that has been trying to get the post office, this is a disaster,” said Sobolewski who went on to sympathize with the frustration felt by many adjacent to the construction zone.
“I really want to send out a big thank you to the residents because they have really been patient and yes some are a bit frustrated but I understand it and I fully sympathize,” added Sobolewski.
Other councillors were in completed agreement, feeling the way the project was managed put unwanted stress on the town and its businesses.
“It is not a good performance,” said Coun. Jim Cheverie. “(The way this was managed) just doesn't look good.”
As for the next phase of the redevelopment project, Council plans to revisit the way it was managed and make some changes so that this scenario doesn't repeat itself.
