Project Addressing Streets, Infrastructure for New High School Site Moves Forward
Jul. 28, 2022 - Another project in the area of the new high school site will construct water and sewer mains, storm sewer mains, asphalt streets, concrete curb and gutter and street lights. This is an area in the north central part of the City, east of Walmart and north of Old Red Trail.
This street improvement district in the Heck Addition has been split into three separate units to help ensure improvements within the units are special assessed to the benefitting properties:
UNIT 1 – Extends 24th Street NW east to Highway 1806 and creates a future street, Fourth Ave NW, that will divide the property with the high school on the west and out lots east of the avenue. This unit includes water and sewer elements along Old Red Trail to serve the lots and surrounding areas. A water main extension along Eighth Ave NW to properly facilitate development of the high school is also included.
The plan is to have underground elements along Old Red Trail and the Eighth Ave water main installed by the end of this construction season. Underground utilities for the new streets are planned to take place the first half of next summer with paving completed by the end of the 2023 construction season. Items like street lights and pavement markings would take place in the first half of the 2024 construction season.
UNIT 2 - Install street lights in the Meadow Ridge Addition just north of the new high school lot. There have been instances in the past where developments were able to build streets without lights, and Meadow Ridge Addition was one of those. Concerns about lack of lighting in the area have since come before the City Commission and this project brings about an opportunity to get lighting in the area through a special assessment district. Costs for Unit 2 is about $2,500 per property to be paid back over 15 years.
UNIT 3 - Improve Highway 1806 as it connects to the future intersection created with 24th Street NW. The traffic impact study warrants a north-bound left turn lane, but does not warrant a south-bound right turn lane. The school district’s property, while not directly adjacent to the improvement, will be assessed the local share of this project cost.
Project cost. For all improvements, the estimated total project cost is about $6.3 million, and will be entirely special assessed to benefitting properties. Final distribution of assessments will be determined by City Commission at the conclusion of the project after review and approval by the Special Assessment Commission.
The bid for unit 1, approved in July, was about 5.2% over the engineer’s estimate. However, the bid for unit 2 was almost 40% under estimate. Unit 3 requires North Dakota Department of Transportation approval and is pending.
Please contact the Engineering Department at 701-667-3225 with questions on this project.