North Franks Avenue extension plan moves forward
Design work and bidding services were approved last week by the Sturgis City Commission for the North Franks Avenue extension project.
The project, when completed, will connect the avenue, which dead-ends at an east-west railroad bed, to East Lafayette Street at a roundabout set for construction next year. The rail bed will be removed where the road will be constructed.
The city of Sturgis received a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Small Urban grant of $375,000 for 2023 and added Federal HIP COVID-19 grant funding of $81,204.00 for constructing the North Franks Avenue extension.
As part of the funding requirements for these grants, a number of items are required, including environmental assessments, appraisals for any grading easements or permits to be obtained on private property; review and analysis of impact to endangered species, and right-of-way certification.
In addition to those requirements, the grant funding has a timeline to be determined by August 2023 or be forfeited. Under a current, aggressive, timeline Fleis & VandenBrink (F&V) anticipates having the project ready for obligation in June 2023 and approved for MDOT bid letting in October 2023.
The city approved Task Order #7 with Fleis and VandenBrink Engineering Inc. for preliminary design, final design, and bidding services on the extension project for $52,500.
In other business, Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC submitted an Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate application for their new facility in Stapleton Industrial Park. The request was approved by the city commission.
As stated in the company’s application, the exemption is for the first of four buildings planned for recreational vehicle assembly. The construction of the 148,000 sq. ft. building is estimated to cost $13,170,000, add 154 jobs, and be completed by the end of this year.
The exemption will reduce the property tax bill for the building by approximately half for a period of 12 years, beginning in 2023 and ending in 2034.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: North Franks Avenue extension plan moves forward
