Note: This story was updated at 11:35 a.m. Oct. 29.
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday awarded a $1 million contract for a project funded with help from a state grant to rebuild the Jackson Square parking lot area.
The contract was awarded to Rich Construction Inc. of Lenoir City. Oak Ridge officials will have a pre-construction conference in 10 days, and they are hopeful that work will start in late November, City Manager Mark Watson said.
He said the project could take 180 days, or about six months. That means it would be done before the Lavender Festival in 2015.
The work will include a landscaped pedestrian plaza with parking, an interactive fountain, stone pavers, curbing, asphalt paving, utilities, benches, sidewalks, and upgrades under the American with Disabilities Act. There will a slight increase in the number of parking spaces.
Council approved the project in a 6-0 vote on Monday night. It’s funded with help from a $741,609 Tennessee Department of Transportation Enhancement Grant awarded to the city in June 2012. The TDOT grant covers 80 percent of the work.
The city’s share of the project is estimated at $293,617. The city is responsible for 100 percent of the cost of engineering services for project design and for 100 percent of any construction costs over the 80 percent TDOT budget amount.
Watson said the revitalization project will update Jackson Square and make it more inviting. The work will include some green space and a newly configured and modernized parking lot.
The city has improved the Farmers Market parking lot on the north side of Broadway to help with parking while the Jackson Square parking lot is being renovated.
The City Council has previously considered the Jackson Square revitalization project, including by awarding a $150,000 contract for design services in February 2013.
See a larger version of the improvements map image here. It’s also included on Page 7 of this City Council agenda packet.
