Construction Updates

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July 14, 2011
Phase 2&3 Construction meeting

Weekly meetings continue at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè.

Schedule
Storm sewer on South Main Avenue and 7th Street should be done Monday. Some service connections are yet to be completed on 6th Street also, but the underground crew expects to wrap up all its work by midweek.

Grading on South Main is starting today and by this time next week curb and gutter should be about half done on Phase 3.

There was discussion last week about doing the final layer (wear course) of bituminous on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets earlier than planned, but there is no date scheduled yet. If it can’t be completed soon, contractors were asked to remove the side street barricades and ramp some of the gaps between the base layer and roads (especially at 2nd Street and Park Avenue South). Some clean up needs to be done before the wear course goes on. Sod work and yard landscaping also remains to be done.

A center street parking test panel was cleaned and sealed. It brought the color and texture to life, but after a few days, no improvement was apparent. So concrete correction options are still being explored.

Contact information:
Ulteig Engineers:
Justin Johnson - inspector (on site) 218-849-6233
Cliff Bimberg - inspector (on site) 218-849-1891
Jon Olson - project engineer - 218-846-7737 or 218-234-8680 (cell)
RL Larson Excavating:
Jeff Wipper - project superintendent - 320-980-2523
Todd Rizer - onsite foreman - 320-980-0778

July 7, 2011
Phase 2&3 Construction meeting

Weekly meetings continue at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè.

Summary
The sidewalk, decorative concrete and tree grates are all in place. Clean up continues. 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets were open to traffic for the July 4th weekend.

General comments
Because of the state government shutdown, the bituminous crew is light on work with state projects and would like to come in earlier than planned to do the final layer (wear course) on the side streets and alleys. This work would take two days; half a block at a time. The consensus of those at the meeting was that if the crew could do the work on a Monday and Tuesday, it would be good to get it done. The project engineer will notify the Park Rapids Downtown Business Association with dates once the work is scheduled.

This week it is a priority to put up street lights on the side streets. Trees won’t be planted until fall since they may not survive if planted this time of the year. The only trees that remain to be planted are those on Pleasant Avenue. The tree at 2nd and Main needs to be replaced also.

The sewer lines in the alleys are being lined with new pipe in. The connection at every business will be tested, but the testing should only be a minor interruption.

Other work remaining on Phase 2 includes miscellaneous cleanup and concrete corrections. A center street parking test panel was cleaned and sealed. It brought the color and texture to life, so now the options are being evaluated.

Phase 3 water and sewer are installed on South Main and storm sewer work has started today. If all goes as planned all the pipe should be in and street grading will start next week followed by curb and gutter, sidewalks and bituminous. Concrete work should start at least by the end of July. Phase 3 should be paved by the first week in August.

June 30, 2011
Phase 2 Construction meeting

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Phase 3 is well underway.

Summary
Clean up is a priority heading into the 4th of July weekend. The Positively Park Rapids banners are up!

General comments
Concrete work is being completed. Dust created will be cleaned up. The sidewalk and street that were torn up due to a water leak last week have been replaced. The surface is open for pedestrian use but parking will be restricted until Monday.

Light poles that were moved and realigned will go up this morning and the lights will be on tonight. Barricades on the side streets at 2nd, 3rd and 4th will be removed Friday. 5th Street will be gravel but will be open to traffic as will the alleys where work has been done, including the alley west of the Post Office.

Phase 3 is well ahead of schedule with the water main installed on South Main. The sewer main and storm sewer work can be completed in 7 working days.

The wear course on side streets will be laid when traffic slows, possibly after Labor Day. Where there is a drop/rise of more than 1.5 inches, an asphalt ramp can be put down and milled off when the final layer of asphalt is laid.

June 23, 2011
Most of the sidewalk on 2nd Street is finished.

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Completion date is June 30.

Summary
Rain has slowed progress, particularly concrete work. Most of the sidewalk on 2nd Street is finished. Gravel is done on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets, the east half of 3rd Street has a base layer of asphalt and 8th Street is open. Asphalt has been removed on South Main and the side streets that are part of Phase 3 of the project. Underground utility work has started on 5th Street and will proceed on 6th Street this week.

General comments
The sidewalk crew will concrete through Saturday, taking advantage of the weather. Paving continues and the paving crew will work Saturday, too. (Get it done). Monday crews plan to finish spreading gravel and grade alleys.

To insure that everything is looking good for the holiday weekend, the contractor will do a thorough cleaning next week. If weather permits, decorative concrete work will start next week at the corners on Pleasant Avenue and Highway 71.

Mud has created misery for some businesses on South Main. It will be a priority to open some access for them and get signage up.

The engineer and contractor are weighing the advantages and disadvantages of waiting until fall to lay the wear course (2nd layer of asphalt) on the side streets so as not to disrupt traffic as it increases in July and August.

“We hope things are a lot different next week than they are right now,” said project manager Jon Olson.

June 16, 2011
Phase 2 Construction meeting

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Completion date is June 30.

Summary
By next Thursday, work on the side streets should be nearly completed. Last week, curb and gutter were finished on 3rd and 4th Streets, street lighting work was finished on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets, grading started for sidewalks on 2nd and 3rd Streets, underground work in the alley between 3rd and 4th Streets was finished and the underground crews transitioned into Phase 3.

General comments
Curb and gutter is going in on 8th Street today. It is a priority for 8th Street to be open for access when the side streets (5th, 6th and 7th) are closed. Asphalt removal on the side streets and Main Avenue South will start Tuesday. The plan is to reopen 5th Street once the asphalt is removed and keep it open at least until 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets reopen.

Phase II work should come together next week if weather permits. Most of the sidewalk will be in by the end of the work day Thursday, beginning on 2nd Street and continuing south. Then the side streets and alleys will be paved. There will be some truck traffic crossing Main, but most trucks will come in from Highway 71.

Also, weather permitting, the wear course/finishing layer of bituminous will be laid and trees will be planted on the corners along Pleasant and Highway 71.

June 9, 2011
Phase 2 Construction meeting

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Anticipated completion date is June 30.

Summary
Grading is finished on 3rd and 4th Streets and underground utility work on 8th Street is done. Most of the electrical work is finished on side streets.

General comments
Curb and gutter on 3rd and 4th Streets should be poured before the weekend and finished on 8th Street early next week.

Crews are beginning underground utility work in the east alley between 3rd and 4th Street. It is expected this work will take a week as the alley is filled with fiber, electrical and other lines that need to be protected.

The schedules calls for concrete sidewalks to be poured on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets next week. Then the side streets can be paved and that should only take two days. If there is a delay in the sidewalk work, the side streets could be paved first.

It is a priority to pave 8th Street as it must be open to provide access to St. Joseph’s Area Health Services before Phase 3 construction starts. The first step for Phase 3 work will be to remove the asphalt on South Main and the side streets south of 5th Street. The start date is anticipated to be Monday, June 20.

Fifth Street will not be finished before July 4th so the parade will need to be rerouted to go west on 4th Street, one block south on Pleasant and then proceed west on 5th Street.

Any business experiencing difficulties with trash removal or any other access issues is asked to contact someone on the contact list and it will be a priority to allow access.

June 2, 2011
Phase 2 Construction meeting

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Anticipated completion date is mid-June to June 30.

Summary
Monday night’s tornado damage may impact some of the progress on side streets as tree clean up continues. Underground utilities are completed on 4th Street and north and concrete work has begun. Granite lake inlays were reset and all 16 are now in place and the flowers are up and stayed up through the storm. Irrigation lines to the trees are in the ground and the water connected, but the lines still need to be pressurized.

General comments
Street grading continues in preparation for gravel to be spread starting Monday. The bituminous surface is scheduled to be laid starting June 13 and should only take a couple of days.
Curb and gutter are in place on 2nd Street and concrete work will accelerate in the next seven to 10 days. Tuesday curb and gutter work will resume and sidewalk should be poured on 2nd Street. Underground utility work on 8th Street should be done early next week.
Crews will begin underground utility work in the east alley between 3rd and 4th Street next week and it is expected the work will take a week.
At next week’s meeting, the transition from Phase 2 to to Phase 3 will be discussed. An effort is being made to have 5th Street done between Main and Pleasant Avenue by the 4th of July to accommodate the traditional parade route.
Any business experiencing difficulties with trash removal or any other access issues is asked to contact someone on the contact list and it will be a priority to allow access.
The Minnesota Power power pole in the east alley between 3rd and 4th Street will be moved tonight (one night later than scheduled due to the storm). The outage area will be pretty much the same area that was out after the storm (the west and north sides of the city), but nothing east of US Highway 71.

May 26, 2011
Construction update #6
Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Anticipated completion date is mid-June to June 30.

Summary
Side street grading operations are moving along with curb and gutter work starting on 2nd Street today. Underground utility work is complete on 3rd Street (the street with the most work to be done). Street signs are up at intersections. The granite lake inlays laid in earlier have been reset. All but two of the 16 will be installed and sealed before the weekend. Bike racks and the tall grass design benches and  trash cans have been installed on the corner nodes. Flower baskets will go up on the light poles when the threat of frost ends. Banners for Main Street have been ordered.

General comments
Underground work on 4th Street started this week and when 4th is completed the crew will start on 8th Street. The alleys will be done last because the priority is to pave 1st, 2nd and 3rd Streets as soon as possible.

Third Street will be graded today so it will be ready for curb and gutter to be poured when 2nd Street is done. The plan is to pour sidewalk on 2nd Street next week.

The planned electrical switchover will occur at 1 a.m. Thursday, June 2. The northwest part of the city will be out of power. (An outage last night was not construction related; it was a Minnesota Power transformer that has been repaired but may need more work today.)

Crews will be working Friday, but will have Memorial Day off.

May 19, 2011
Construction update #5
Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe. Anticipated completion date is June 30.

Summary
Utility lines on 3rd Street should be installed and connected next week. The benches, bike racks and trash containers should be delivered today or tomorrow.

General comments
Electrical work, including Minnesota Power poles and street lights on 2nd Street is tentatively going to be done next week. There will be a power outage in about half of the city when the power poles are set. This work will be done during the night to minimize disruption. The outage should last about an hour.
Curb and gutter will be installed on 2nd Street once the electrical work is done. Once the concrete cures (2-3 days), the sidewalks can be laid.
The top brackets on the Main Street light poles need to be turned, but the flag holders have been placed and the flower baskets can be hung when temperatures permit.
There was a request to the city for one handicapped parking stall to be signed on 2nd Street in front of the Senior Citizens Center.
There was discussion about whether or not to bevel the existing gaps in the sidewalks. This would be for aesthetic purposes only and one concern is if the gaps are widened, they will collect more water and fill up with snow.
Plans to stripe parking spaces on Main Street are on hold as the subcontractor didn’t want to do the work at night. Now the plan is to do the striping when the side streets are done so cars can park there.
No more granite lake inlays will be installed until the rest are delivered. Some of those that have been installed need adjustments.

May 12, 2011
Construction update #4
Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe. Anticipated completion date is June 30.

Summary
Most of the existing infrastructure has been removed and board walks are in. Water and sewer installation on 2nd Street is nearly done. The utilities and storm sewer should be completed on 2nd Street by the end of the week. The water main connection in the alley behind McDonalds was done in the middle of the night. Some of the granite lake inlays are in and more will be installed as they are delivered.

General comments
Work will proceed on 3rd Street once second is completed. A majority of the utility work in alleys is completed. They will be graded and surfaced about the same time as the side streets.
The Post Office is monitoring comments and concerns about the lack of a drive-up mailbox. So those with concerns are asked to let the Post Office staff know about them. There is currently a drop box on Highway 71 near the steps.
The weather has not been favorable to striping for parking on Main Avenue. The cooler the temperature is, the longer it takes the paint to dry. It is a goal to have striping done before Memorial Day weekend, but it would involve closing Main Avenue so parking would be challenging. In the past, when the city public works department did the striping, they did it in the middle of the night.
The concrete contractor will do a thorough cleaning and re-sealing in the stamped concrete in the middle of Main as a test area. This work also will require warmer temperatures. Remedies to chipping and other blemishes left from snow removal will be evaluated after the test panel is done.
The contractor and engineer will review access to the Senior Citizens Center on 2nd Street from Highway 71. When work is completed there will be diagonal parking on both sides of 2nd Street.

May 5, 2011
Construction update #3
Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Anticipated completion date is mid-June to June 30.

Summary
Sidewalk removals on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th Streets on both sides of Main Avenue are underway and boardwalks are being put down. The installer is scheduled to start laying in the granite lake inlays this morning.
General comments
The contractor plans to start digging in underground utilities (sewer and water) on 2nd Street this week and into next week. The alley between Main Avenue and US Highway 71 on the first block will be closed Monday for underground utility work as well. Underground work in the alley between Main Avenue and US 71 on the third block will follow. (There is work being done in the alley between 2nd and 3rd Streets east of Main, but it is not part of the project.)
The benches, bike racks and trash cans for Main have been ordered and are on their way.
Business owners are reminder to prepare for vibrations - “earthquake proof” their displays and to let the contractor know right away if vibrations are causing problems.
The city placed crosswalk signs on US 71 today. Downtown parking signs will be put up directing traffic from US 71.
A suggestion was made to place a drive-up postal service drop box at another location. The one that was in the alley is now located in front of the Post Office, but parking there is limited with the side street being closed. The project engineer will talk to the postmaster.

April 28, 2011
Construction update #2
Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè. Anticipated completion date is June 30.

Summary
Asphalt removal has been completed on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th Streets on both sides of Main Avenue.
General comments
Sidewalk removal will start the morning of Monday, May 2 on 2nd Street and continue south. Boardwalks will be laid as sidewalks are removed. Businesses will be given notice and can expect minimal interruption. Last year, sidewalks remained open even during removal.
Underground work to remove old infrastructure will start on 2nd Street as soon as the middle of next week.
With increased traffic at the 5th Street intersection, the contractor will do continuous maintenance to keep the road surface as smooth as possible.
Corrections on the light poles on Main should be done by mid-May. Flower baskets and possibly banners will be hung before Memorial Day weekend. Installers expect to start laying in the granite lake inlays in the next couple of weeks.

April 21, 2011
Phase 2 construction starts April 25
Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffè.

Summary
Phase 2 of the Downtown Renewal project will include reconstruction of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th Streets between Pleasant Avenue and US Highway 71. It is likely 5th Street will be included in Phase 2 also. Asphalt removal will start Monday, April 25 on 2nd Street (on both sides of Main Avenue) and continue south.  Anticipated completion date is June 30.

General comments
Project engineer Jon Olson said attendance at the weekly meetings and day-to-day communication worked to make last year’s project successful and he hopes that continues.
Because the streets will be resurfaced with bituminous rather than concrete, the work should go faster this season than last.
Access to Main will have to be from state Highway 34 or 5th Street with no access from the side streets. There will be signs similar to last year and a parking plan has been completed. (The parking map is available on this website under maps.) It is a priority to keep businesses operating as usual.
Phase 2 also includes some alley work. The water main and storm sewer will be replaced in the alley on the first block east of Main and it’s expected this work will start next week also. The “post office” alley (on the third block east of Main) also will be closed. There are plans to place a temporary drop-off box on Highway 71 during construction and the contractor will make sure the postal delivery trucks have continuous access. All alleys in the construction area will be restored with bituminous surfacing.
Phase 3 is scheduled to start June 15 and continue through Sept. 30. This will include reconstruction of 6th and 7th Streets (and possibly 5th) and Main Avenue from 5th to 8th Streets. These streets also will be resurfaced with bituminous rather than concrete.
Phase 1 clean up remains. Pavement markings will take a day or a day and a half and require the street to be closed. If a weekend is a better time to close it, that is an option. It will need to be warmer before the striping can be done.
There is also some underground irrigation work to be finished, street signs to be placed and a lot of work to be done on the light poles. Flag holders need to be installed before Memorial Day and flower baskets will go up before Memorial Day so finishing work on the light poles needs to be a priority.
Sidewalk joints will be beveled, granite inlays installed and other clean up is needed on sidewalk edges and throughout. There has been some wear and tear over the winter months. Repairs are a priority as is how to minimize damage in the future. Updates will be given weekly on remedy items: corrective actions/solutions for the damage that occurred. In areas where there is serious damage, sections of sidewalk may need to be removed and replaced. Any materials or work that are unsatisfactory will be corrected before the project is closed out.
Business owners with questions about access for customers and/or deliveries are asked to contact Jon Olson or Jeff Wipper. Business owners who want signs are asked to contact Ellis Jones or Lu Ann Hurd-Lof.

March 28, 2011
Plans for 2011
Phase 1, or the first four blocks of Main Avenue south of state Highway 34, of the downtown reconstruction is completed with the exception of the pavement striping for parking delineation. Pavement striping and other miscellaneous cleanup items will be completed in the spring.

Phase 2 will consist of the reconstruction of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th Streets from Pleasant Avenue to US Highway 71. This work will begin as soon as conditions allow in the spring and should be completed prior to June 30.

Phase 3 work will consist of reconstruction of Main Avenue from 5th Street to 8th Street, and 6th and 7th Streets from Pleasant Avenue to US Highway 71. This phase is scheduled to begin not sooner than June 15th and should be completed by the end of September.

November 4, 2010
Construction update #15

Main Street opened to vehicle traffic at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5 after a short parade led by city council members and downtown business owners.

Summary
The trees and grates have been installed in the corner nodes at intersections.
Today is clean-up day with crews running pressure washers to clean buildings, sidewalks and the street.

General comments
After the barricades are pulled Friday morning, temporary signs will be installed until next week. Some other miscellaneous work will carry over into next week also.

Project manager Jon Olson talked about the street lights. The intention was to rehab the existing poles but many of the bases were broken and it would have cost more to rehab them than to purchase new poles. They have been ordered, but haven’t arrived yet. The new poles will be a little more decorative with a fluted barrel and will be placed a few inches farther from the street in hopes car bumpers don’t damage the bases in the future. The luminares and brackets are being refurbished. The bottom line is the cost of the street lights that will be installed is within the preliminary budget number.

The old poles could be temporarily installed (one or two per street) for $250 per light until the new ones arrive, but first the side street lights will be wired and turned on next week to see if lighting from them will be adequate until the new ones get here.

Business owners will be asked to use potash or sand rather than salt on sidewalks this winter. Salt will damage the colored concrete.

Olson said Phase 2 of the downtown renewal project will start next spring and should go faster. The sides streets have fewer service connections to be made and the amount of concrete will be much less.

October 28, 2010
Construction update #14

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
The season’s work is nearly completed.
The past week’s work was limited to some concrete work.

General comments
A taste of winter weather slowed things a bit, but the plan is still to open Main Avenue to vehicle traffic by the end of next week and the weather forecast looks favorable.

Tree planting in the corner nodes may start today!

The remainder of this week the schedule calls for installing tree grates, finishing concrete work and continuing with concrete sealing is completed, grading at the side street intersections and general clean-up.

Next week (Monday through Thursday) concrete cleaning and sealing will continue, asphalt will be laid (rain or shine) at the intersections to tie the side streets into the new Main street, the subcontractor will finish planting trees and installing grates, work will continue on awning modifications, the areas where the granite lake inlays will go will be temporarily filled and general clean-up will continue.

Friday, Nov. 5 remains the goal for removing barricades and opening the street to traffic.

Before the Halloween weekend, barricades will be placed, traffic cones will be placed on all street light bases for trick or treaters’ safety and there will be more clean-up completed.

Project manager Jon Olson said delivery of the refurbished street lights is still going to be delayed, but he is working on having something temporary in place for the Thanksgiving weekend.

Olson also said there is not enough time to do major work on 2nd Street between Main and Highway 71 this season. The corridor will be cleared to get ready for next season.

Clean-up work remains south of 5th Street. Gravel will remain in the middle of the street, but the intersection will be paved. Main, south of 8th Street, will be graded and leveled again.

October 21, 2010
Construction update #13

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
Services in the alleys east of Main are done
Underground work south of 8th Street is complete
Sanitary sewer replacement in the alley west of Main between 6th & 7th streets should be completed today.
Concrete work continues

General comments
The project is coming to a quick end. Once the underground work is done the crew will be put on clean up.

The plan is to have all the concrete down this week. Then subcontractors will work on getting ready for winter. Seasonal wrap-up will include concrete cleaning and sealing, pavement on the side streets, planting trees and installing grates on the corner nodes, modifying awnings, temporarily filling the areas where the granite lake inlays will be located, other site and building clean-up, and removing the traffic control signs.

The goal is to open the street to traffic by Friday, Nov. 5.

Pavement striping, including marking for parking stalls, will likely wait until spring as will some clean-up and “do overs.”

Project manager Jon Olson summed up saying some parts of the project started a little late but subcontractors finished when they were supposed to. “We were blessed with good weather and a good contractor.”

Olson said awning repairs have been authorized and will continue next week.

Opening the street after Halloween is a good thing, but it would be nice if clean is done by then. The contractor was asked to make sure the side streets are well barricaded that weekend so no one can squeeze by them.

The street lights are coming slowly and may arrive in December at the earliest. They may all come at one time, but if some arrive sooner, the contractor will try to get them up. Ideally, they would be installed by the Friday after Thanksgiving since there are a lot of people on Main that night. If not, something may have to be done to get temporary lighting up.

October 14, 2010
Construction update #12

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
The concrete sidewalk is completed
Concrete work north of 3rd Street is complete

General comments
The end of Phase 1 is in sight and the project remains on schedule.

The stencil for stamping 2010 in the decorative concrete above the time capsule is ready and the date will be added later this afternoon.

The last stretch of mainline paving that remains - between 4th & 5th Streets - will be finished this week. Also the remainder of this week, work will continue on the decorative sidewalk edging and sealing joints in the concrete.

Next week all concrete pouring should be complete, and cleaning and sealing will continue.

The following week, the work will be to clean up and tie in pavement on side streets, including putting down asphalt at the intersections with Main.

The rest of this week underground work is continuing on east side alleys and should be completed. The underground crew will start replacing sanitary sewer on the west side alley between 6 and 7th Streets. South of 8th Street, 250 feet of sanitary sewer will be installed also. This portion of Main Avenue will be closed for installation of that main.

Sidewalks and crosswalks will be open for Halloween weekend. Main will be pedestrian friendly; but the street most likely will not be open. Traffic barricades will remain in place.

Part of the clean up work will be to use pressure washers to clean up buildings, awnings and canopies to their pre-construction state.

It remains undecided whether the trees will be planted in the corner nodes this fall or next spring.

Last week, there was a concern about the bases for light poles not being aligned. Thursday morning project manager Jon Olson said there are some bases that will need to be moved.

October 7, 2010
Update on granite lake inlays

In a special noon meeting Thursday, Oct. 7, the Park Rapids Council rejected 2 quotes received for granite lake inlays and their installation.

The next step will be discussed at a future council meeting, but it appears installation will be delayed until the spring construction season.

Private donors have committed to purchasing all 16 of the lake inlays as part of the downtown revitalization project which started Aug. 1. This fall, a thin layer of concrete can be laid into the corner nodes where the granite inlays will go.

The council decision was based on the recommendation of the city’s legal counsel. The city’s purchasing policy requires competitive bidding for contracts $50,000 or more. With sales tax included, the quotes came in higher than the $50,000 threshold.

Even though most of the cost will come from private donors, the inlays are part of the construction project and the amount from donors will not cover sales tax or installation cost.

One option discussed was to add installation as the general contractor’s responsibility rather than the vendor’s, lowering the cost to less than $50,000. However, the council would like the bid to include a two-year warranty. It is unlikely a vendor would not be able to provide such a warranty if another party installs the granite.

The competitive bidding process requires notice to be published for three weeks; hence the delay until spring.

October 7, 2010
Construction update #11

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
The past week’s work has included:
sidewalk
curb
decorative concrete
alley services
lighting work

General comments
Terrific weather has been very helpful so everyone hopes it continues. Work on stamped, colored concrete in the middle of Main started on the block from Highway 34 to 2nd Street yesterday, will be done today and continue between 2nd and 3rd Streets today.

The goal is to be done with decorative concrete north of 3rd Street this week. Next week, crews will clean up in this area and get ready to wrap up for the season.

Concrete work continues south of 3rd Street. The sidewalks should be done this week. Mainline street paving should start the first part of next week at the latest. Decorative work would start the following week.

Before Main Street opens to vehicle traffic, the intersections will need to be cleaned up, including laying asphalt on side street corners. Main Street won’t open until the entire four blocks are done.

The project is still trending to wrap up by the end of October.

Work started on alley services south of 5th Street, but it is progressing slowly as there are a lot of utilities in the alleys. The underground crew will continue alley work for at least two weeks.

There was a concern about the bases for light poles not being aligned. Project manager Jon Olson said he will walk the sidewalks with city staff to verify placement and they will be relocated if necessary since aesthetics are important to the project. Jon explained that even if a base is off, the light poles can be adjusted when they are bolted down.

The light poles are being custom built so it may be at least 5 weeks before they arrive.

The best place to look at where the granite lake inlays will go is at the corner of Main and 2nd in front of Schwarwald’s.

September 30, 2010
Construction update #10

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
Progress continues to go well.

With the underground work complete, all the other subcontractors are able to begin their work so construction is active everywhere you look.

The last week’s work has included:
Street grading
Class 5
Electrical (lighting)
Irrigation
Concrete - curb, street and sidewalk

General comments
Decorative concrete may start going in as soon as Friday on the first block (Highway 34 to 2nd Street).

Curb and gutter is down from 3rd to 5th Streets except on the east side between 4th and 5th. Sidewalk grading will start Monday morning on these two blocks with sidewalk going down once the grade work is done. The sidewalk will go in before the street is poured. Late next week or the following week, some street work and forming will begin on southern portion.

Today the underground crew will begin to replace alley services south of 5th Street. There should be fairly minimal interruption as these connections are made and the crew will communicate with property owners in that area. This work will continue as long as the crew is available. This part of the project was scheduled to start next year so any work done this year puts the project ahead of schedule.

The long-range schedule is getting shorter and shorter and the work is on track with one exception: street lighting. Installing the street lights will depend on when the light poles arrive on site. The bases are in place but installation is a question mark. It may be the end of October or into November. Weather isn’t a factor. The street lights can be can be installed at any point.

Workers are doing their best to park on site, but in some cases have had to park on side streets. This should be happening less and less.

Time capsule. Project manager Jon Olson will mark the location where a time capsule will be buried and 2010 will be placed on the stamped concrete above it. The location also will be recorded at city hall. Cynthia Jones described some of the items that will go into the time capsule (a piece of pvc pipe with caps glued on the ends). The favored location would be in the middle of Main Street in front of Pioneer Park where the Christmas tree will be. If the stamped concrete work is already done there, it might be located at 3rd and Main or south of there. Burial is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6.

September 23, 2010
Construction update #9

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
Underground utility work is completed from 5th Street to Highway 34
Concrete driving lanes have been paved between 2nd Street and Highway 34
Curb around the nodes has been poured at the 2nd Street intersection
Sidewalk has been installed between 3rd and 2nd Streets and will be jointed
Decorative concrete test panels have been completed in Pioneer Park.

Luster and finish were added to the test panels Wednesday so anyone who saw them earlier, should check them out again. The concrete colors and textures are the exact product that will be used on the street and sidewalks. The sidewalk edging will have more of a textured rock look than the texture in the center of the street. There will be a 2- to 3-foot edging on both sides of the sidewalk and a textured pattern (but no color) in the middle of the sidewalk. There are six different stamp patterns so the texture will be more varied than it looks on the test panel.

General comments
The project is progressing very well. Underground utility work has begun south of 8th Street and will extend to 11th Street. Work also will begin on sanitary sewer in the alleys between Main and Pleasant Avenue from 4th to 8th Streets.

Paved driving lanes have been poured on both sides of Main between 2nd Street and Highway 34. The corner nodes are laid out at corner of 2nd street and sidewalk has been installed between 2nd and 3rd Street. The sidewalk now will be jointed into 2.5-foot panels. This work should only cause very temporary interruptions on the sidewalk.

The tentative schedule calls for concrete to be poured on the west side of the street between 3rd and 2nd Streets this week if weather permits. The east driving lane would be poured Monday. If concrete can’t be poured today (Thursday) because of the rain, the crew may work Saturday.

Street crossings will be reopened for the weekend, a big one with at least 600 people expected for the Headwaters 100 Saturday.

Plans are to pour sidewalk between 2nd Street and Highway 34 Monday or Tuesday. Advance notice will be given. Some decorative work also may start on this block.

Grading operations have begun from 3rd to 5th Streets. The tentative schedule calls for Class 5 to be spread Tuesday followed by curb and gutter. Mainline paving on these two blocks is scheduled Oct. 3-9. The sidewalks will go down first so there is no wait time while the concrete street cures.

The project is still on schedule to wrap up this season’s work at the end of October. Weekly meetings will continue until clean up is done and the season is suspended. The target is to begin in the spring.once the frost is out, possibly the first week in May.

September 16, 2010
Construction update #8

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
Water mains and sanitary sewer mains are completed from Highway 34 to the south end of the project.

Service lateral connections between 5th and 3rd Streets will be completed Friday.

Curb and gutter work has begun.

General comments
Rain the past week has delayed the concrete work “a little bit,” but the project is moving along very well.

By the middle of next week the remaining underground work (storm sewers) south of 3rd Street should be completed. Then grading will begin. Concrete work could begin the week after next in that area.

During the next couple of weeks concrete work - curb and gutter, the street and sidewalk - will be under way. Concrete could be poured on the street as soon as Friday.

Jeff Wipper, project superintendent, said the sidewalk crew will start work Monday on the east side of the street. The plan is to pour the straight sections of sidewalk on the first two blocks (from Highway 34 to 3rd Street) a whole block at one time, so businesses with no back door entrances will be closed to pedestrian access for about 24 hours. Workers will communicate with businesses starting today to develop a game plan. If there are any special concerns, contact Jeff or one of the others.

Before the pour, the contractor will have to grade the sidewalk area. The board walks will need to be removed in order to do the grading. There will still be pedestrian access but people will need to use caution.

Once the sidewalk pour begins and if the weather cooperates, the work will go from the middle of the 2nd block of Main to Highway 34 and then from the middle south to 3rd Street. Again this will only be the straight stretches, not the intersections.
Project manager Jon Olson said overall the project appears to be tracking toward the original schedule and that is a rarity. It is hard to estimate an end date for the concrete work because pouring concrete is more weather dependent than the underground and grading work.

As early as this week, the stamped concrete test panel could be poured as a patio area adjacent to the sidewalk in Pioneer Park. The edging will surround the other two textures. The test panel will show the two colors and three textures that will be used on the center parking, the ribbon between the curb and regular sidewalk and around the tree grates in the nodes.

Work on the side streets and alleys will start in the spring as soon as the frost goes out. The 2011 work will be completed in July.

September 9, 2010
Construction update #7

Weekly
meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
All buildings between 3rd and 5th Streets are on temporary water. Underground work is complete from Highway 34 to 3rd Street.

The street is being graded between Highway 34 and 2nd Street (the north block). The short-range schedule calls for hauling Class 5 on the north block today. Then early next week curb and gutter will be laid on the first block.

Grading work will continue on the second block with Class 5 to be hauled on the second block by mid-week next week. Then curb and gutter will be installed on the second block.

Sanitary sewer work continues between 4th and 3rd Streets and continues on 5th and 6th Streets. Once sewer lines are completed, the concrete storm sewer lines will be installed.

General comments
The project is half completed. The mainline pipe (water, sewer and storm sewer) should be done by the end of next week bringing the project back to the original schedule.

Temporary street crossings have been removed to accommodate the grading work, but will be installed before the weekend.

Project manager Jon Olson commented that street lights will be reconfigured due to node construction. This will require changes in a few awnings. Awning work, including repairs, is part of the project cost. The light posts will be at a 2-foot setback as they were before.

In answer to a question as to why the sidewalks won’t be poured before the street, Olson said it is more important to get the street open first so trucks can use it to pour the sidewalks. It’s entirely to do with constructibility, he said. The colored concrete “ribbon” has to be poured last. The concrete sidewalks will need to set for 24 hours before foot traffic begins. He said if the community wants a date stamped in the sidewalk somewhere, that could be done.

There has been a delay in the test panels for the stamped concrete in Pioneer Park while the state reviews the concrete mix. Olson said he hopes the test panels can be down a couple of weeks before the concrete work starts so people can see it, but they will not allow the delay to impact the construction schedule. The test panel will show the two colors and three textures that will be used on the center parking, the ribbon between the curb and regular sidewalk and around the tree grates in the nodes.

It was reported there are 10 confirmed donors so far for the 16 granite inlays in the nodes.

September 2, 2010
Construction update #6

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
Underground work between Highway 34 and 2nd Street is completed.

Service connections between 2nd and 3rd Streets should be completed today.

There will be no construction over the Labor Day weekend (Saturday, Sunday and Monday). Every effort will be made before the weekend to make sure the boardwalks are pedestrian friendly and directional signs are clear. If there are any other suggestions or concerns going into the weekend, get ahold of one of the project contacts (below).

General comments
Project manager Jon Olson said things are continuing to go well in the field.

Grading between Highway 34 and 2nd Street Main may start today. Grading the street will involve removing some material and hauling in Class 5. Lighting work on this block may start Friday.

Pending testing results, temporary water service connections will be completed Friday between 5th and 3rd Streets.

After the weekend, storm sewer work will start between 2nd and 34d Streets and continue south between 3rd and 5th Streets mid-week.

As early as Sept. 13 curb and gutter may begin on the north block (between Highway 34 and 2nd Street) as projected in the original schedule.

The contractor will bring in a second “pipe crew” next week so activity will pick up.

There was a request to extend the boardwalk from Main Street Meats south to 5th Street. Main will be closed temporarily south to 6th Street.

There also was a request to put a board cross walk on the north side of 2nd Street instead of the south side. It was explained that because grading work will start on the north block up to and through the intersection so the intersection needs to remain open for the work. When grading is finished, the board walk could be moved.

Pedestrian crossing markers have been ordered for the Highway 71 crossing at 3rd Street.

Once curb and gutter is installed the sequence will be to pave the street, then the sidewalks and the stamped concrete sidewalk between the curb and regular sidewalk.

Project superintendent Jeff Wipper said once the pavement is down on the street, it will be 3 weeks before sidewalks are finished, about a week a block. He explained the concrete has to cure for a week before trucks can run on it to do the sidewalks.

Several buildings on Main Street have coal chutes that were older than the sidewalk. The coal chutes are being sealed.

August 26, 2010
Construction update #5

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
Service connections on the first block (from Highway 34 to 2nd Street) are nearly complete and work is continuing southward to 3rd Street.

The removal crew is back on site and their work should be completed south to 5th Street this week.

General comments
The prime contractor, RL Larson Excavating, has begun service work on the north block. A majority of businesses on the first block are on the new water main and all should be by the end of today.

The removal crew has returned. A majority of the concrete between 3rd & 4th Streets has been removed and all of it should be removed by the end of the week. When concrete removal is complete the entire project area will be ready for underground work.

Pedestrians can cross at every block now. Crossings will only be closed when pipe is being laid through the intersections. Temporary board walks should be wrapped up for first two blocks.

Concrete work is still on schedule to start in mid-September. It is possible that next week, test panels for the decorative concrete will be poured to verify colors, textures, etc. This will be done in Pioneer Park so everybody can look at the colors and textures.

Service connections are taking time but a lot of people are involved and a good connection has been made at every building. Interestingly, one building on the first block is built on rocks. It has no concrete foundation.

Overall the schedule is trending similar to last week except the contractor will be holding off one week to do major underground work on the south end of the project. Project manager Jon Olson explained there is an opportunity to get more depth for the sanitary sewer line at 6th Street. It will take a day or so, but this line will be laid down the center of the street at 8.5 feet. “Any depth we can gain is certainly a benefit and (the work) won’t be of much impact to anybody,” he said.

Once services are connected to individual businesses north of 3rd Street next week, the next phase will be to install storm sewer, on the north three blocks first. It is expected it will take 4-5 weeks to complete the storm sewer to 5th Street.

Once all the water and sewer lines and storm sewer is complete, electrical and irrigation lines will be installed to each node to allow irrigation to the trees that will be planted in the spring. There also will be receptacles at each tree so they can be strung with lights.

There will be no major work on the east side of 2nd Street (between Main Avenue and Highway 71) this year. A few trees will be removed.

August 19, 2010
Construction update #4

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
Water main is installed between Highway 34 and 3rd Street.

Sanitary sewer main north of 3rd Street should be completed Friday.

Service laterals into individual businesses north of 3rd Street will likely begin Monday.

The removal crew is still on hold and it is likely will be returning Monday.

General comments
Work has been going very smoothly. The water main is installed north of 3rd Street and work has started on sanitary sewer northward. The sewer main installation should be completed Friday or Monday.

Because the utility work is still a couple of days behind, the removal crew has been asked to hold off and return Monday. When this work starts, the asphalt and concrete will be removed south of 3rd Street and temporary boardwalks will be installed. The project superintendent estimates it will take three days to remove all the concrete south of 3rd Street. This work means there will be some temporary closures for those businesses, but they will be very temporary. Temporary water lines will be connected following those removals. The work will flow the same as on the north end.

Once the sewer main is installed north of 3rd Street, the next step will be to dig in permanent new service connects and that will start as soon as next week. The contractor will try to start sewer and water at the same time. Outages will be longer while plumbers connect to the meter. Businesses may want to clear space around their meters. The work will be coordinated with each specific business at the time, and if there is a time that works best for a particular business, they will try to make it work out. At some locations where the meter is farther removed and more private plumbing work is being done, the connections may be put off for. Those with questions about scheduling them are asked to contact Jeff Wipper at 320-980-2523.

Storm sewer utility work is scheduled to start between 3rd Street and Highway 34 the first week in September. There is a fair amount of storm sewer on north portion.

The new water line is pressurized now and has been tested at 3 times the normal city pressure to test for leakage. Utility work south of 3rd Street will overlap with work on the north portion, but that may be a few weeks out yet.

“We’re losing the fluff in our schedule but trending toward the appropriate date,” John Olson, project manager, said. He also said the original tentative schedule was “very conservative.”

Next week when service lateral connections are made, boardwalks will have to be closed as each connection is made. The crew will try to limit the work to one block at a time on one side at a time. The goal will be to keep as much of the boardwalk in as possible. When a business’ only access is through the front, the contractor will try to schedule connections before or after business hours. Some scheduling for this work will depend on when private plumbers are available. Connections to meters close to the property line will be made at no cost to business owners. This is the case with a majority.

The contractors have tried to help get people where they need to go.

August 12, 2010
Construction update #3

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

Summary
All concrete has been removed from 3rd Street north to Highway 34.

Temporary water service connections have begun.

The removal crew has moved offsite to allow underground operations to catch up.

General comments
Todd Riser was introduced as the contact working on temporary water connections. The last temporary water connection on the west side will be completed and work will begin on the east side of Main today. Service interruptions are only lasting 5-10 minutes.

When sanitary sewer lines are switched over, people may hear some pumping but there should be no interruptions.

The new water main will run down the east side of the street; the new sanitary sewer down the center.

The revised tentative schedule shows underground work is behind about a week, but Jon Olson said he is confident once work resumes, they will make up the time. He expects underground work will start Monday from 3rd Street north. The crew will come back the middle of next week to start asphalt/concrete removal south of 3rd Street.

Jon described what to expect when the underground work begins. The crew will start digging to uncover one pipe and work north, so the work will be like a trench. Once that’s completed, they will repeat, following the next pipe. Once the pipe is in the center of the street, they will start work on the laterals, branching from the main pipes. Old pipe will be removed as new is put in.

Although the underground work is trending a little behind, Jon said, when they get rolling next week, it will give us a feel if we’re trending in the right direction.

The plan is to run service laterals into buildings starting the week of Aug. 23. Because Todd has already gone into the buildings, he feels they know what to expect even though it is common to find more stuff as you tear out the old.

After observing some extreme parking congestion making it difficult when people are trying to back out of parking spaces on side streets, parking sign arrows were redirected to point east. There have been no accidents; everyone’s driving pretty carefully. The contractor is still working on adding pedestrian only signs to the alley closure signs.
If necessary, the barricades will be moved more toward the center. Most felt speeding has been reduced. Now that boardwalks are in place, it could be clearer that “sidewalks” are open.

Early Monday morning water will be shut off early to 4th Street and along side streets also for as long as 2-3 hours. may start water shut offs. shouldn’t be too long. Businesses will be notified regarding times once the temporary service lines are hooked up.

Cynthia Jones of the Downtown Business Association thanked public works for sweeping the alleys.

City administrator Bill Smith invited anyone interested to a meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17 to discuss the lake inlays that will be placed at street corners. The city council is asking for a recommendation. meeting at 8 a.m. Bill said if vendors have enough lead time, the first two inlays could be installed this fall.


August 5, 2010
Construction update #2

Weekly meetings are at 8 a.m. Thursdays at Bella Caffe.

A visitor and Perham business owner praised the community and especially the fact that everyone is working together. What makes Park Rapids work for him is the history, especially parking in the middle of the street. “The history helps me keep coming back,” he said. He also commended the downtown for being clean and interesting looking. He heard about Crazy Days on the radio. The message gave people a reason to come and to buy. He said he spent money he didn’t plan to spend and had a good time. “It was a win-win. You’re doing a fine job,” he said.

“The reason we’re doing this is to get that kind of response,” said Jon Olson, Ulteig project manager.

The project is on schedule. A boardwalk will be laid across Main at 2nd Street by the weekend.

Temporary water hook ups on the north two blocks (Hwy. 34 through 3rd Street) should be completed by the end of the week. Work continues on mapping out sewer and water service in each building. Water service 1 inch and larger in diameter will be replaced with existing size pipes. If the pipes are smaller than 1 inch, they will be replaced with pipes at least 1 inch in diameter.

There will be some dusty conditions, but this will improve once the concrete is removed.

Some underground excavation should start on the north two blocks early next week.

Pedestrian safety is the No. 1 priority. There will be times sidewalks will be closed until temporary sidewalks are in place. There has been discussion on alley closures and whether the barricades should be centered in the alley entrances or not. Technically, it is illegal to drive in the alleys when they are signed for no through traffic as they are now, but some drivers are using them because side streets are congested and it is difficult to turn around.

A suggestion was made to add “pedestrian walkway” signs to the alley barricades.

Cynthia Jones, president of the Park Rapids Downtown Business Association, said at the association’s monthly meeting Aug. 4 everyone seemed optimistic because everything went so smoothly the first two days.

Jon asked building owners to let one of the project contacts know if they notice significant vibration and shaking. “We want to protect the buildings.”

Jon also suggested asking patrons how the project seems to be going in their eyes.

Steve Sorenson said he’s been asking and has heard no negatives. One customer told him, “It’s adventurous.”

Addressing fronts and backs of buildings is a good idea, not just for the project, but for emergency response calls.

According to city ordinance: Numbers are to be at least 4 inches high, preferably coated with a reflective material, color should be in contrast with the building color, and numbers should be located near the front door, preferably in a well lit area. The numbers must be visible from the street.

July 28, 2010
Public informational meeting for Main Avenue reconstruction.

Weekly meetings will be held at 8 a.m. Thursdays, starting Aug. 5 at Bella Caffe.

Jon Olson, Ulteig project manager, provided contact information and encourages everyone to ask questions so any problems can be addressed right away. The first two weeks will be the biggest hurdle

Traffic and erosion control signs will be delivered (but not set up) yet this week.

Milling work to remove the asphalt will start Monday, Aug. 2. A crew also will start saw cutting around awning posts and doing other work to prepare for sidewalk removal.

Removal of sidewalks and curbs will start Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 3rd Street going north. The tentative schedule is to being removing sidewalks and curbs south of 3rd Street Monday, Aug. 9.

Concrete from the sidewalks and curbs will be removed and dumped in the center of the street. All the concrete will be hauled, crushed off site and reused in the base when the street is resurfaced.

Once the sidewalk is removed, temporary water service will be provided. The switchover should take 15-20 minutes. Property owners will be notified when this is going to take place.

Temporary sidewalks will be installed after the sidewalk is removed. A majority of the time customers will be able to use the front access to buildings but many improvements have been made to back door entrances and alleys will be signed.

The existing street lights will be reused after the project but will not be working during the project. The street will be dark. If businesses have outside lights, it is suggested these lights be left on. Police chief Terry Eilers said officers will be patrolling.

Concrete removal will create vibration; “earthquake proof” your merchandise.

Alleys will be restricted to pedestrians with the exception of the east alley between 3rd and 4th Street where the Post Office drop boxes are located. Parking behind businesses will not be blocked off. Barricades will be easy to move so businesses are asked to let delivery drivers know they can move them.

The asphalt and concrete removal will be done - rain or shine. A very heavy rain fall when the street is ready for concrete could delay its being poured, but the contract calls for asphalt to be laid on the street and as sidewalk through the winter if the concrete work isn’t finished.

Initially, work hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at least five days a week.

Parking maps are available and employees are encouraged to use the areas marked for them so customers can find places to park.

“We want to make this as seamless as we can for all of you,” Jon said.