by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Though amended and scrutinized, the City Council approved a bill Tuesday night, authorizing approximately $700,000 in improvements to Bay Street.
Less than half of that money was originally allocated for business incentives along the future entertainment strip, though it has been shifted to help cover other project expenses.
With its passing, project planners say phase one of the Bay Street Town Center project, which includes landscaping, road refurbishment and on-street parking between Newnan and Liberty streets, should be completed in time for the Super Bowl in February.
Some Council members were skeptical of that time frame.
“Obviously we recognize the need for businesses along that corridor to be open to the public during the Super Bowl. If it’s not done, we’re going to have a mess on our hands,” said Council member Art Graham. “I’m hopeful we’ll be able to make it as painful as possible to whatever contractor we’re using if it isn’t finished on time.
“There needs to be some kind of guarantee or penalty expressed in the contract.”
City attorneys said a last minute floor amendment to the bill will take care of that.
According the bill, the contractor will be responsible for “sufficient liquated damages . . . to ensure a project completion prior to Super Bowl XXXIX.”
A specific penalty amount was not made public.
Another bill item flagged by the Council was whether the work would need to be bid by a City-issued Request for Proposal.
Ed Hall, the City’s streets and drainage chief, said that was unlikely though possible.
“At this time we don’t think that will be necessary,” he said.
Hall said a contractor who regularly performs City streetscape improvements could do the job.
“But it’s possible,” he said. “If it turns out we’ll have to bid out this project, we’ll do that.”
Resulting in a slightly tighter time frame, Hall was unsure if the project’s budget would be affected.
“Again, we’ll explore that but we’ll do all we can to be sure we can complete phase one within the budget already outlined,” he said. “However, this will be finished in time for Super Bowl no matter what. We’re sure of that.
“If this bill had been deferred, we would not have not been given very much room to trip.”
Barring complications, Hall said construction should begin by early July.
He said when work is completed, the affected portion of Bay Street will remain a two-way corridor. Council committees last week said they felt more comfortable leaving it unchanged, though it will eventually be modified for one-way, westbound traffic.