It's bumpy for now, but soon the worst part of North 42nd Street should be one of the smoothest patches of pavement in Grand Forks.
The City Council voted 6-0 on its consent agenda to approve plans for the reconstruction of 42nd Street from University Avenue to Gateway Drive on Monday evening. The total cost of the project is expected to be $6.9 million, with the federal government picking up nearly $4.9 million and the city paying for about $2 million.
Construction bids are expected to open this fall, with construction launching next year.
"I think it's been on our agenda for probably all the years I've been on the Council...everyone uses that as a poster project of why we need to spend money on streets," he said. "There wasn't a lot of discussion, but it's pretty monumental that we're getting to do a project that we've used as a poster project for all these years."
Council member Crystal Schneider was absent from the meeting.
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Near south side traffic
The near south side neighborhood is set for $28,000 in traffic-calming measures after a 5-1 vote with council member Danny Weigel dissenting. The changes include a tighter turning radius at the disjointed intersection between Eighth Avenue South and Reeves Drive, and a narrower street near the intersection of Reeves Court and Reeves Drive.
Those items were were requested after lengthy advocacy by members of the neighborhood.
Weigel was concerned that money is being spent without clarification on the city's policy on covering the cost for such citizen-requested projects Other council members were satisfied that this was an early "pilot project" exploring such updates.
Other business
• Skateboarders, rollerbladers and bikers are set for a new Grand Forks skate park. The City Council voted 6-0 on its consent agenda to permit the Grand Forks Park District to build a new facility at Kannowski Park this fall, replacing the downtown skate park near First Avenue South and Walnut Street displaced by the LaGrave on First homeless housing project.
• The City Council voted 6-0 on its consent agenda to set a Sept. 17 hearing for a 10-year tax incentive for J.R. Simplot to build a new freezer structure at its campus near Gateway Drive. The benefit will likely save the company between $2 million and $3 million on its full complement of local taxes. The new addition is set to open by 2019.
