Allen St. Project #2 Progress Update

To: Ward 4 Constituents, Taxpayers, Property Owners, Flooding Victims and Elected Officials

We appreciate the mayor’s and the city council’s efforts thus far. Now our state legislators must move the funding proposal through the legislature approving the $10M bonding initiative. Mayor Stewart has committed $4.2M which is the city’s responsibility.

Upcoming milestones per the DPW Design Schedule (attached for your convenience):

1) DPW Director Moriarty and Cardinal Engineering will be submitting the updated Allen St. Project #2 Engineering-Construction Plan to the DOT and to the City for review. This should be completed by mid-August 2024.

2) Incorporate DOT comments: Complete by mid-September.

3) Prepare specifications and bid documents: Complete by October 1st.

4) Review by City: Complete by mid-October.

5) Bidding: Complete by mid-November.

6) Award by mid-December.

7) Start Construction by April 2025.

We trust that Director Moriarty and all other interested city and state officials will keep moving this project forward as noted and beyond through the state funding phase and the construction phases to project completion. Since this project has been ignored for decades we remain skeptical. We hope you will understand our ongoing concerns. We do not want the Allen St. Project #2 to be lost in the bureaucratic fiscal shuffle again. We will be monitoring this process closely.

So we are clear, if the project starts, April 2025, in a perfect world, the construction will take at least 18-24 months to complete. Avoiding any possible further delays we are looking at two or more tropical rainy seasons to contend with. The flooding threat will continue until the spring of 2027 and possibly beyond. Hopefully, the project will move forward smoothly. We will portray the facts as we know them.

As elected officials, you are voted into office not to define the problems, you are voted into office to solve the problems…Once again, we are grateful for your efforts thus far, as we have noted, more challenges exist regarding the Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St. As Council Leader McNamara noted, “Your advocacy is still needed to ensure that the Allen St. Project #2 implementation occurs”.

Thank you.

F&S Chase