Relief will come in 14 days to residents of a townhome complex that lost power on Feb. 1 after a section of Liberty Street collapsed into the St. Johns River.
The mayor’s office announced Thursday afternoon the city would pay the entire cost to restore power — estimated at less than $200,000 — from its emergency management account.
The damage from the collapse also interrupted street lighting along the eastern section of the Riverwalk, which David DeCamp, spokesman for Mayor Alvin Brown, said created a “common goal” between the city and the townhome residents.
“We’re committed to doing this,” he said.
The move settles the issue of whether a temporary fix with generators or a permanent one would be used to allow residents to return to their homes.
Earlier in the day, Andrew Beaudoin, head of the Riverwalk Townhomes at The Plaza homeowners association, said installing generators on a temporary basis would cost about $45,000 a week. A permanent repair to the condos’ electric equipment would be at least $80,000. The association’s resources will not cover both costs, he said.
“We are asking the city to fund the ongoing cost to owners and residents resulting from the bridge collapse,” he said.
After the announcement, Beaudoin said residents were pleased the city was taking steps to restore power and to pay for it.
City Council President Clay Yarbrough told the mayor’s office he would support legislation to ratify using emergency funds, DeCamp said.
The city’s first step will be to hire a contractor.
Jim Robinson, the city’s director of public works, said two weeks were needed for the repairs in order to remove debris so it would be safe for divers to inspect the damage.
Asked why it took this long to come up with a solution, Robinson said the city had been researching records, plans and plats and the work had been tedious.
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