The City distributed meeting invites and hosted a community meeting on March 13th to present the project goals, scope of work, and schedule. Community members expressed support for the project and the City will continue to coordinate with the neighborhood while design progresses to completion. 

During design development through April, the engineer identified a need for further investigation into the subsurface soil conditions to support excavation work within the alleyway. The City plans to capture CCTV footage of the storm sewer system within the alleyway in May. 

The City expects to receive the 90% design deliverable in July following the completion of the subsurface investigation and incorporation of the results into the design.

In January, the City received the 30 percent design package, which included schematic plans, a cost estimate, a basis of design report, and technical specifications. The City's interdepartmental review team reviewed the submission throughout February and provided comments to be addressed in the next design phase. The City has also shared the 30 percent design phase with municipal utility providers to begin coordinating any necessary relocations to support the project.

The City will hold a community meeting on March 13 to present the project to the local community. Invitations were distributed to residents in the project area. During the meeting, City staff will present the scope of work, benefits to the community, and potential impacts associated with construction activities. Meeting materials are available under the "Community Engagement" section below.

To address concerns and comments from utility providers, additional topographic data and in-field test pitting operations may be required. Work notices will be distributed in advance of any disruptive activities. 

In November, The City accepted the preliminary design and coordinated with the City's interdepartmental review team.

The City approved continuing with the design, and the 30 percent design phase is expected in December.

Additional topographic data to support the proposed work at the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Clifford Avenue will be collected in December. 

Project staff are working to plan a community meeting in February 2025 following a complete review of the 30 percent design. Here the City will present the proposed scope of work, the benefits to the community, and the potential impacts associated with construction activities. 

In early September, the City awarded a design services contract to AECOM to develop construction drawings for the proposed project. A public project kickoff announcement was presented at the Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Utility Advisory Committee meeting on September 18th at City Hall. Subsequently, the City issued formal Notice to Proceed on the design contract. 

In late October, the City completed topographic survey of the alleyway and Preliminary Design for the proposed improvements. Following the distribution of work notices, utility test pits and soil sampling were completed. The results are being assessed by the City to determine design conflicts and the suitability of the foundation soils to support the proposed improvements. In November, the City will complete review of the preliminary design package and begin 30% design. 

A public community meeting is anticipated for February 2025 following the completion of the 30% concept design phase. At the public community meeting, the City will present the proposed project’s scope of work, the benefits to the community, and the potential impacts due to construction activities

Prior to the award of the contract, the City completed site survey to expedite design development and reduce contract costs.

During the planning phase, the project team characterized the types of impacts experienced in the community and determined goals for the project. Based on project goals, a feasible solution was scoped and a rough order of magnitude cost estimate was developed based on conceptual drawings. These materials were used to secured a federal grant to support the work.

Design Procurement

The City will procure engineering design services for the proposed work through an existing on-call services contract. These services include topographic survey, utility locating services, cost estimating services and engineering design services.

More information about the City's procurement processes and policies can be found on the Finance Department's Purchasing webpage.

During the design phase, the project team will perform in-field data collection and develop technical construction documents to deliver the proposed project scope. These construction documents will be incorporated into a public solicitation for construction services to build the project.

Kickoff Meeting Invitation

Meeting Materials

The City issued a work notice to residents in early October prior to the utility test pits and geotechnical testing. 

The City intends to hold a public kickoff meeting for the project following successful negotiation of design services. An additional public meeting will be held at the mid-point of design to provide an update on the design scope, schedule and progress.