Title
South Main Street Improvements (B)
Explanation
Today’s agenda item is focused on providing a summary and update on the next iteration of the project plan’s development process and recommending a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) proposal for the construction of the proposed improvements.
Improvements to the South Main Street corridor have been the subject of discussions and planning exercises for a number of years in anticipation of the opening of Depot Park, the Cade Museum, the Power District, and other existing or planned development opportunities in the area. During this period numerous milestones have been accomplished furthering the broad redevelopment goals for this area of Gainesville. Significant changes to the area have occurred that directly impact the functional needs of the street. These include new commercial oriented businesses, the Depot Avenue streetscape and roundabout, construction of the Cade Museum, and the opening of Depot Park. With these recent improvements being fully realized, CRA Board directed Staff to advance the design and, ultimately, construction process forward so that the South Main Street corridor responds to its changing context while still supporting its existing businesses and users.
Beginning in 2014, the CRA began facilitating discussions with area stakeholders, hosting community engagement events, and learning about the area related to possible improvements to the corridor. The result was the collaborative stakeholder process of adopting a Guiding Vision Statement & Guiding Principles for the project that we would rely on throughout subsequent planning, design, and engineering processes. Throughout the month of September 2016 the CRA facilitated a series of participatory community workshops and engagement exercises that explored various street design alternatives related to reimaging the corridor by prioritizing the various streetscape elements. On October 17, 2016 the CRA Board considered several alternati...
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