Grandview Center project moves forward ahead of municipal center bond issue vote
The city of Grandview Heights is finalizing a contract with a team led by Meyers+Associates to provide architectural and engineering services relating to the planned relocation of the Grandview Center to McKinley Field park.
City Council adopted a resolution Sept. 6 providing $50,000 in supplemental appropriations that will be used to help pay the cost of initial design services for the remainder of this year.
The city's plan to construct a new municipal complex, including fire station, police headquarters and administrative offices, at the southeast corner of Goodale Boulevard and Grandview Avenue requires voters approving a 28-year, $25 million, 3.88-mill property tax on the Nov. 8 ballot to fund most of the cost of a city facilities project.
Relocating the Grandview Center, which houses the parks and recreation offices and programming space, is needed to free up the site at 1515 Goodale Blvd. to accommodate the new municipal complex.
"The important thing to understand about (the municipal complex and Grandview Center projects) at this point in terms of activities unrelated to the bond issue per se is that on any capital project, once you make a decision about what you want to do, the faster you can do it, the better off you are, always," said Director of Planning and Community Development P'Elizabeth Koelker.
The rising costs related to construction "put a fine point on that," she said.
It will be helpful to get as much initial design work doing as early as possible, even before the bond issue is decided by voters, to allow the city "to hit the ground running" assuming the bond issue passes, Koelker said.
Even if the bond issue failed and the project had to be delayed, the site information and data that will be collected over the next few months will be beneficial for future plans to move the parks facilities to McKinley Field, she said.
Council held first reading Sept. 6 of legislation to ratify the selection process and authorize the city to enter into a contract for architectural and engineering services.
Meyers+Associates is expected to lead a team that will include representatives of MKSK; Korda, Advanced Engineering Consultants and Geotechnical Consultants, Inc.
The contract is expected to be forwarded to the council ahead of its next scheduled meeting Sept. 19, City Attorney Joelle Khouzam said. The intent is for council to approve the contract Sept. 19.
In a document provided by the firm to the city giving a proposed project approach and schedule, Meyers+Associates proposes a total fee of $237,555.
The proposed schedule calls for construction of the new Grandview Center building to be completed in August 2024.
The city is set to host a tour of the municipal building and an information session about the bond issue Oct. 11, Mayor Greta Kearns said. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with the tour and the information session follows at 7:30 in the fire apparatus bay in the fire station at 1016 Grandview Ave.
A video virtual tour also is being completed to provide residents with more access and information regarding the current building site's deficiencies and the proposed bond issue, she said.
@ThisWeekAfroman
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Grandview Center project moves forward ahead of municipal center bond issue vote
