TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County officials anticipate breaking ground on expansion plan “Project Alpha” by mid-April — as long as commissioners give the green light Wednesday to a construction agreement.
At its meeting, the board is expected to receive an update from construction firm Cunningham-Limp on the county’s Lafranier Road campus expansion project, which is estimated to cost between $27 million and $28 million. Preliminary design plans include a new emergency operations and communications center, as well as a central operations building.
The update — provided by project manager Jerry Tomczak — also will include a milestone schedule.
According to the agenda, commissioners will have to approve the construction management agreement first to move plans forward.
Another contract approval action is expected after the board receives a guaranteed maximum price for the project at a meeting next month.
The “Project Alpha” committee is continuing its bi-weekly progress meetings with Cunningham-Limp’s team. Partners in Architecture, an architecture firm based in Mount Clemens, has completed construction documents for both buildings as well.
With locations in Garfield Township, the new structures will feature green-energy options, such as solar panels, stormwater retention and reuse and rain gardens. Commissioner Fern Spence and Tomczak have recently put plans in place for Greenspire students to help design rain gardens around the new buildings.
According to the firm, discussions are ongoing with DTE regarding a 75-foot-wide easement that includes two natural gas pipelines. The first line was installed in the 1950s and sits 2 feet, 10 inches below-grade. It was built with materials that are no longer considered acceptable by today’s construction standards and will require engineering efforts from the utility company to allow construction. Cunningham-Limp noted it is still awaiting DTE’s engineering report to assess how design and construction of the project may be impacted.
According to the milestone timeline the board is expected to review Wednesday, both building job sites will be mobilized by April 13.
Occupancy for both buildings is currently estimated to occur between May and June 2027.
The public is welcome to attend the meeting, which will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Governmental Center, 400 Boardman Ave., Traverse City.