TRAVERSE CITY — Three projects in Traverse City will move ahead, and at a considerable savings over previously estimated costs.
City commissioners on Monday voted 6-0 to approve a $3,570,065.73 contract with Elmer’s Crane & Dozer to rebuild a stretch of Monroe Street, replace a downtown crosswalk and repair a stretch of storm drain in the city’s northwest corner. Mayor Pro Tem Laura Ness was absent.
The price includes a 10% contingency, and as Commissioner Jackie Anderson pointed out, is nearly $1 million less than city engineers’ estimates for the three projects — those estimates put the Monroe Street project alone at $4 million, as previously reported.
“I may be wrong, but it looks to me like you saved the city almost $1 million by bundling these together,” she said. “I wanted to make sure everybody saw that, and kudos.”
That was the idea in combining the three projects into one bid, city Manager Benjamin Marentette said. City administrators also hoped it would make the project more enticing for bidders.
Team Elmer’s, as the company calls itself, will rebuild Monroe Street in Slabtown, from Bay to Front streets, starting as soon as April 15 and potentially wrapping by Sept. 30. Plans are to narrow the street down to two, 10-foot lanes, with 7-foot parking lanes on either side, and add bump-outs at crosswalks.
Those are where the curb flares toward the center line to shorten the distance for anyone crossing the street.
The contractor will also replace an undersized water main and old sewer main, along with 10 or so galvanized steel service lines linking main to house — if they were previously connected to the main by a lead gooseneck.
Stormwater features will include 23 vegetated depressions called bioswales, plus three dry wells. The former will help keep runoff out of the street, while the latter will infiltrate runoff into the ground.
Rebuilding the street and underground infrastructure will cost $3,024,332, documents show.
Commissioner Heather Shaw asked who will maintain those bioswales, and noted that plantings along Eighth Street became overgrown after the city told adjacent business owners not to touch them.
City Engineer Anne Pagano said the engineering department requested money for the 2026-27 budget to hire a landscaping company to maintain the bioswales.
“We don’t have staff that is an expert in deciding which are the weeds and which are the right plants to keep in the bioswales,” she said.
For the Cass Street mid-block crossing, the contractor will replace an existing crosswalk between Front and State streets with a wider one that’ll be slightly elevated over the street. It’ll be built with brick pavers, with bump-outs at the curb as well. Existing curbside and overhead signage will stay.
Recently installed brick pavers have held up well so far, Pagano said in response to a question from Anderson — way better than stamped concrete, Marentette added.
Commissioner Lance Boehmer said he thinks the design is a great example of what “complete streets” look like in practice, referring to the concept of designing streets for a variety of users including drivers, pedestrians and mass transit.
Increasing the crossing’s elevation also makes crossing safer, since it makes pedestrians in the crosswalk more visible to drivers, Pagano said. And the project will bring the crossing up to Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
The Downtown Development Authority will reimburse the city $179,439 from TIF 97 funds for the replaced crossing, with commissioners approving an agreement to do so along with the project contract.
Lastly, Elmers Crane & Dozer will replace nearly 250 feet of storm drain pipe off the west end of Willow Street, a block south of Ramsdell Street. Roots have breached the current pipe, causing some drainage issues. That work will cost $41,742.
Work on the storm drain and mid-block crossing should be done before July 4.
TRAVERSE CITY — PK Contracting will paint crosswalks, turn arrows and other markings on Traverse City streets, and finish before July. City commissioners on Monday approved a $328,820.30 contract with the company, which includes a 10% contingency, to do the work. The Troy-headquartered contractor was the only one to bid on the city’s request for one of two pavement marking contracts. “This is terrific, th eprice is reasonable and getting everything done in June is great, I’m so happy,” Commissioner Heather Shaw said. Commissioners had previously said they wanted pavement legends repainted by July so they’re in place for the city’s busiest season. City Manager Benjamin Marentette in a memo said the contract not only satisfies that, but costs less than if the Department of Public Services staffed up and equipped itself to do the work. That was one option city DPS Streets Superintendent Chris Weber presented to commissioners in October. Marentette said he asked Weber to draft plans for the city to do its own legends painting, especially as fewer contractors offer the service — Shaw requested as much after lauding the agreement. Commissioner Lance Boehmer said he wants city staff to think three to five years ahead to entice more contractors so the city isn’t stuck paying an unreasonable price to a lone bidder. For long lines like edge markings and center lines, Weber told commissioners those are under a separate contract. He’ll speak with that company about repainting them on an expedited schedule so they’re completed by July as well.