MONROE - Construction of the downtown parking ramp could begin as soon as January under a timeline suggested by the city's engineering supervisor Al Gerber.
At Gerber's suggestion, the Monroe Common Council on Tuesday, March 18 set an informational meeting for 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 31 to discuss approximate costs for parking ramp replacement options. Those options will be detailed in concept drawings sketched by engineering consulting firm Arnold & O'Sheridan.
Gerber said the concepts include a street-level parking lot, a two-level ramp and a three-level ramp. The council plans to discuss information from the March 31 meeting at its next meeting Wednesday, April 2, in the hopes of deciding on a concept as soon as possible.
Gerber said once the city decides what kind of parking lot it wants, reviewing and improving requests for proposals will take about two months; design will take three to four months; and bidding on construction will take about two months.
Assuming the city picks a concept in April, this timeline puts the city on track for a January start to construction and a completion date of November 2015, Gerber said.
Alderman Tom Miller, who had requested the update on the parking lot at the previous council meeting March 4, said he didn't want to see a situation where the parking ramp issue would get lost "from committee to committee.
"I don't want to get to Cheese Days and have people saying, "Hey, what's going on with the ramp?'" Miller said. "I want the correct people to be going on this (the whole time), so we can get something done."
There was discussion about which committee should handle the March 31 meeting, but the city ultimately decided the issue would be best handled by the committee as a whole.
"I think that's the way this parking ramp should be handled," Miller said. "There are so many different ideas (involved in the project), I think we need to work it out together."
Gerber said the parking ramp fix-up project, which aims for the ramp to be spruced up in time for the 100th anniversary of Cheese Days, is expected to be completed in May. The fix-up, dubbed the Clean/Bright/Safe project, includes three projects: Excel Cleaning was hired to wash and paint the interior and exterior of the building for $44,000; Gentz Electric was hired to replace canopy lights with wall packs with LED lighting for $9,000; and Monroe Glass was hired to replace windows in existing doors and aluminum frames with polycarbonate for $6,800.
Gerber said the city had hoped to get started on the fix-up project in the fall but had to change its plans due to cold weather.
At Gerber's suggestion, the Monroe Common Council on Tuesday, March 18 set an informational meeting for 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 31 to discuss approximate costs for parking ramp replacement options. Those options will be detailed in concept drawings sketched by engineering consulting firm Arnold & O'Sheridan.
Gerber said the concepts include a street-level parking lot, a two-level ramp and a three-level ramp. The council plans to discuss information from the March 31 meeting at its next meeting Wednesday, April 2, in the hopes of deciding on a concept as soon as possible.
Gerber said once the city decides what kind of parking lot it wants, reviewing and improving requests for proposals will take about two months; design will take three to four months; and bidding on construction will take about two months.
Assuming the city picks a concept in April, this timeline puts the city on track for a January start to construction and a completion date of November 2015, Gerber said.
Alderman Tom Miller, who had requested the update on the parking lot at the previous council meeting March 4, said he didn't want to see a situation where the parking ramp issue would get lost "from committee to committee.
"I don't want to get to Cheese Days and have people saying, "Hey, what's going on with the ramp?'" Miller said. "I want the correct people to be going on this (the whole time), so we can get something done."
There was discussion about which committee should handle the March 31 meeting, but the city ultimately decided the issue would be best handled by the committee as a whole.
"I think that's the way this parking ramp should be handled," Miller said. "There are so many different ideas (involved in the project), I think we need to work it out together."
Gerber said the parking ramp fix-up project, which aims for the ramp to be spruced up in time for the 100th anniversary of Cheese Days, is expected to be completed in May. The fix-up, dubbed the Clean/Bright/Safe project, includes three projects: Excel Cleaning was hired to wash and paint the interior and exterior of the building for $44,000; Gentz Electric was hired to replace canopy lights with wall packs with LED lighting for $9,000; and Monroe Glass was hired to replace windows in existing doors and aluminum frames with polycarbonate for $6,800.
Gerber said the city had hoped to get started on the fix-up project in the fall but had to change its plans due to cold weather.