BROOKINGS – The Brookings City Council will consider making a $3.6 million financial commitment next week to help secure a federal BUILD Grant for a major infrastructure project in the city.
The grant, sought by Brookings Economic Development Corporation, could fund up to 80 percent of the development of an interchange at Interstate 29 and 20th Street South, if it’s awarded.
A proposed resolution for the city’s pledge for the other 20 percent is on the council’s agenda for its 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting at the City & County Government Center.
The grant is known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development funding source.
“The Brookings Economic Development (Corporation), with assistance from HDR and Banner, requests a local financial commitment for a BUILD grant due July 19. The federal funding source was developed to bridge funding gaps of economic projects that provide local or regional efforts,” according to an attachment to the agenda available on the city’s website.
The 2018 funding specifically targets rural projects and can provide no more than 80 percent of the project costs, the attachment added.
“The proposal includes a three-lane configuration with an estimated cost of $18 million. To meet the necessary requirement of 20 percent local match, a commitment of approximately $3.6 million is required,” the attachment said of the city’s share of costs.
In a separate item next week, the city is planning to annex a parcel of land that runs alongside land that is in city limits.
“The property owner, Darrick Wika, has petitioned the city to annex a portion of land for future commercial development,” according to an agenda attachment.
The property is located 350 feet west of Main Avenue South between 26th Street South and 32nd Street South.
“The land is predominantly vacant except for one shop structure that was permitted through Brookings County. The property is shown on the annexation priority map in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan as Phase 1 or expected to occur in the short-term,” according to the attachment.
The applicant has also submitted a rezoning request to zone the land B-3 District, which was tabled by the Planning Commission on June 5. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan shows this area as Urban Medium Intensity (UMI) on the Future Land Use Map, according to the attachment.
The council also plans to award bids on the LeFevre Drive street project to Timmons Construction of Brookings, which had the low bid of $297,154. The next closest bid was $352,375 by Big-O-Concrete of Mitchell. Timmons’ bid was approximately 15 percent lower than the engineer’s estimate of $352,784.
“The project includes new storm sewer pipe and inlets, concrete pavement, striping, erosion control and miscellaneous items. This project is the second phase of the LeFevre Drive reconstruction project to improve the pavement and storm drainage system and has a November 2018 completion date,” according to the council agenda.
In other business, the council will consider temporary liquor licenses for:
• The Brookings Volunteer Fire Association Street Dance on July 21 in the 300 block of Fifth Street; and
• Downtown at Sundown for July 12, 19 and 26, and Aug. 2, 9, 16 and 23 in the 300 block of Fifth Street.
Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.
