City of Waconia Downtown Reconstruction Project
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Project Updates

Project Updates – March 27, 2024

Bids for construction contractors were opened on March 12 and the low bidder, Wm. Mueller & Son, Inc. from Hamburg, MN, was awarded the contract at the March 18 City Council meeting. Construction preparation items (contracts, insurance, permits, etc.) are now underway and should be completed in 3-4 weeks. A preconstruction meeting will be held sometime in April, at which a tentative construction start date will be shared. We will share more information about the preconstruction meeting once it is available. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to one of the project contacts.

Previous Updates

February 7, 2024

Project plans will be finalized soon, once adjustments are made based on what was heard at the most recent open house. City Council has authorized advertising the project for construction bids, which will commence next week and continue through March 12. Assuming no delays with bidding, City Council could award a construction contract as early as March 18.

January 31, 2024

An open house was held on Tuesday, January 30 to discuss Phase 2 of the Downtown Reconstruction project. Information about the final design and project schedule were shared and questions and concerns from property owners were addressed.

A construction schedule will not be available until after the construction contract is awarded. However, construction is anticipated to begin in late April or early May. If you were unable to attend the open house, you can review the informational materials on the “Public Engagement” page of the project website.

January 17, 2024

Join us on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 5-6 p.m. at Waconia City Hall for the Downtown Reconstruction Phase 2 Open House. This meeting is an opportunity to learn about the final design details, anticipated project schedule and share your questions and concerns with project staff. If you are unable to attend, open house materials will be posted to the “Public Engagement” page of the project website following the meeting. If you have any questions, please reach out to one of the project contacts listed.

December 1, 2023

For the Phase 1 project, post-condition inspections are being scheduled and completed. These inspections are necessary to review the applicable properties and determine if any damage occurred as part of the adjacent construction work. For the Phase 2 project, pre-condition inspections are being scheduled and completed. These inspections are necessary to document the condition of the applicable properties in the event a future construction claim is warranted after the construction of the project in 2024. These pre-condition inspections are also needed to determine water service types/configurations and to assess entrance/access needs.  If you received a letter from the City pertaining to either of these inspections, please respond to get them scheduled.

November 3, 2023

The City Council has authorized the final design of the Downtown Reconstruction, Phase 2 project. This project area is to the east of the Phase 1 project and includes the following streets:

  • Main Street from Olive Street to Spruce Street
  • Elm Street, Pine Street, & Spruce Street from Main Street to First Street

Project scope details will be worked on this fall/winter and options will be discussed with the City Council. Once the scope is fully identified and the preparation of plans and specifications are further along, an open house will be held to share the design with the impacted property owners. This meeting is not yet scheduled but is anticipated to be held after Jan. 1.

If you have any questions about this, please reach out to one of the project contacts.

Image of the phase one and two project areas

October 13, 2023

The assessment hearing for the Downtown Reconstruction, Phase 1 project was held on October 16, 2023. At this meeting the City Council certified the assessment roll. Assessments can now be paid in full with no interest at City Hall until November 15, 2023. After this date, the assessments will be certified to Carver County and payments will be included on the tax statement of benefitting properties beginning in 2024. If you have any questions about this, please reach out to one of the project contacts.

October 5, 2023

The assessment hearing for Phase 1 of the Downtown Reconstruction Project will be held at City Hall at 6:00 pm on Monday, October 16th. This is an opportunity to voice any concerns you have to City Council before it votes on adopting the assessment roll for the project. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to one of the contacts listed on the project website.

Progress Update

This week the contractor finished paving Main Street and Olive Street. The final layer of pavement will be paved next summer. The road will remain closed to traffic so that work on other items can still be completed, but is anticipated to reopen Saturday, September 9.

Following Labor Day, the contractor will finish the paver parking lot, pour the last pieces of concrete, and begin the final restoration items. Striping, lighting and signage will also be installed next week.

August 29, 2023

Phase 2 Update

The Downtown Reconstruction, Phase 2 Feasibility Study was approved by the City Council on August 21, 2023. The proposed project area for Phase 2 is east of the existing construction project and includes Main Street (from Olive Street to Spruce Street) and Elm, Pine and Spruce Streets (from Main Street to 1st Street). A public hearing has been scheduled for September 18, 2023, at 6:00 pm at City Hall. The scope and estimated cost of the project along with the methodology used to calculate the proposed assessments will be shared at the public hearing.

August 25, 2023

Completed Work

This week the contractor finished pouring sidewalk on Olive Street and most of the remaining curb and gutter. They will continue to work on grading the road in preparation for paving soon.

 

Upcoming Work

Early next week, paving will occur on both Main Street and Olive Street. The road will remain closed to traffic so that work on other items can still be completed. Additionally, the installation of pavers in the parking lot off of Main Street will begin and continue into Labor Day week.

Following Labor Day, the contractor will begin some of the final restoration items such as adding dirt behind curbs and seeding those locations. Striping will also take place that week.

Pedestrian Access (UPDATED Aug. 25)

The roadway pavement will be hot for sometime after it is paved. During paving work, crossing Main Street and Olive Street may be restricted for a few hours until the pavement has cooled. This may require pedestrians to utilize crossings on the outside edges of the project area. Please use the above pedestrian access map and pay close attention to any signage in the area, so you can get around downtown safely.

August 18, 2023

Completed Work

This week the contractor continued constructing the Main Street parking lot.

 

Stage 2 Work

Next week, construction of the Main Street parking lot will continue and is anticipated to have curb poured by the end of the week. Concrete is anticipated to be poured for the Olive Street sidewalks starting Monday, August 21, weather dependent. Affected properties will receive a notice with more information regarding this work. All concrete work is anticipated to be completed next week. Following concrete work, the contractor will begin preparing the road for paving. Paving is currently anticipated to occur on both Main Street and Olive Street the week of August 28.

Pedestrian Access (July 28 – current)

Pedestrian access routes have been identified with barricades, ribbon, and signs to help pedestrians safely navigate the construction zone. Please try to use our designated crossing locations at the intersections of Olive, Vine, and Maple to walk across Main Street. The other parts of the roadway may have grade breaks and trip hazards that are unsafe for pedestrians.

August 14 2023

Stage 1 Work

Last week, the contractor finished installing the storm sewer structure in the Main Street parking lot. Construction of the parking lot is anticipated to begin, with curb poured by the end of the week. The week of August 21, paving is anticipated to begin on Main Street.

 

Stage 2 Work

Last week curb work was completed on Olive Street. The sidewalk is anticipated to be poured later this week. Affected properties will receive further notification of exact dates. The week of August 21, paving is anticipated to begin on Olive Street.

August 4, 2023

Stage 1 Work

This week, the contractor finished pouring sidewalk and concrete parking along Main Street. Next week, excavation and installation of a storm sewer tank are going to occur in the Main Street Parking Lot.

 

Stage 2 Work

The street section, drain tile, and light bases were installed on Olive Street this week. Curb is planned to be poured on Olive Street on Saturday, August 5. The sidewalk will be accessible during this work, similar to how Main Street was constructed. Notifications will be handed out to affected businesses with further information. There will be minimal work on Olive Street as they allow for the concrete curb to cure. Sidewalk construction on Olive Street is anticipated to occur the week of August 14.

July 28, 2023

Stage 1 Work

This week the contractor has been working on pouring sidewalk along Main Street. They should have about two thirds of the work completed by the end of this week. Work on the reuse water main on Main Street should be complete by the end of the week as well.

Next week, the sidewalk work will continue on Main Street and the new concrete parking area on the north side of Main Street will be constructed. This work is anticipated to be fully completed by Tuesday, August 1, weather depending. The sidewalk can be walked on by pedestrians after one day of curing, so inaccessibility to front doors should be limited to one day per property during that time span.

 

Stage 2 Work

Work on the reuse water main on Olive Street should be complete by the end of the week. Next week, the contractor will begin constructing the street section on Olive Street while also placing drain tile and electrical conduits under the street. It is anticipated that concrete curb and gutter could be constructed on Olive Street late next week. Businesses on Olive Street will receive notifications of when curb will be constructed once the actual date is determined.

Main Street sidewalk construction is now planned to begin on Wednesday, July 26, weather depending. The anticipated concrete sidewalk installation schedule is as follows (see map above):

  • July 26: north Main Street between Maple Street and Vine Street
  • July 27: south Main Street between Maple Street and Vine Street
  • July 28: south Main Street between Vine Street and Olive Street
  • July 31: north Main Street between Vine Street and Olive Street

During this work, the designated pedestrian access routes will be rearranged as needed in order to keep access to businesses open to the extent possible. Later today, construction staff will deliver notices about this work to the impacted businesses. Reminder: once the sidewalk concrete is poured in front of your business, access will not be allowed for a full day, so the concrete can cure (harden).

Map of the sidewalk concrete installation locations

July 21, 2023

Stage 1 Work

This week light base and drain tile installations were completed and the street section was built up on Main Street. Concrete curb and gutter will be completed on Main Street by the end of the week.

Main Street sidewalk construction is anticipated to begin on Thursday, July 27, weather depending, and is expected to last for one week. During this work, the designated pedestrian access routes will be rearranged as needed in order to keep access to businesses open to the extent possible. Construction staff will be reaching out to businesses to deliver specific notifications as to when the sidewalk will be poured in front of their business.

In order to pour and cure the concrete, each property will have one day between July 27 and August 3 where access from the Main Street side will not be allowed. The sidewalk can be walked on by pedestrians following that day of curing.

 

Stage 2 Work

Sanitary sewer and water main construction on Olive Street was completed and the reuse water main should be complete by the end of the week.

Sidewalks removals on Olive Street are anticipated to take place some time next week. Street excavation and light base, drain tile, and electrical conduit installation is anticipated to begin in the middle of the week. Pedestrian access will be rearranged as the sidewalk is removed. It will be built back up to grade quickly to maintain access on Olive Street as best as possible.

July 14, 2023

This week storm sewer, watermain, and utility service work on Main Street was completed. All sidewalk was removed on Main Street and light pole base and drain tile installation began. Work on building up the new street section, from the west end of the project toward Olive Street also began this week. The temporary water system has been connected to buildings in Stage 2 in preparation for sanitary sewer construction on Olive Street, which began this week.

Upcoming Work

Work on building up the new street section on Main Street will continue next week. Additionally sanitary sewer construction on Olive Street will continue and watermain work will begin.

It is anticipated that the new curb on Main Street could potentially be poured later next week. During curb work, the designated pedestrian access routes will be rearranged as needed in order to keep access to businesses open to the extent possible. Construction staff will be reaching out to businesses to deliver notifications and answer any questions about this phase of work. It is anticipated that new sidewalk could be poured the week of July 24. Next week’s update will have more information on this activity.

July 12, 2023

Join us this evening from 5:00 – 6:30 pm at City Hall to learn about Phase 2 of the Downtown Reconstruction project. Currently, Phase 2 is in the early stages of design and is anticipated to be constructed in sometime in 2024-2025. The open house will provide you with a chance to learn more about the project and share your input with the project team.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to one of the project contacts.

July 7, 2023

This week the contractor continued installing storm sewer on Main Street and will have the storm water main on Main Street installed by the end of the week. The temporary water system has been setup and will be connected to buildings in Stage 2 next week.

Upcoming Work

Next week, it is anticipated that the sidewalk on both sides of Main Street from Maple Street to a location just west of the Bakery on Main will be removed on Monday, July 10, weather dependent. The sidewalk on both sides of Main Street from the Bakery to Olive Street is anticipated to be removed on Thursday, July 13, weather dependent. Notifications will be made if these dates are altered due to weather or other potential delays. This sidewalk removal needs to occur to begin work on building up the new road and sidewalks. The designated pedestrian access routes will be rearranged as needed in order to keep access to businesses open to the extent possible. If businesses have rear accesses, these may need to be utilized as much as possible, as there will be short amounts of time that work will be occurring directly in front of doors on Main Street. Construction staff will be reaching out to businesses to deliver notifications and answer any questions about this phase of work.

Additionally, there will be a contractor doing televising of the sanitary sewer services along Main Street. This will require them to enter the property and access the sewer service. The contractor will also begin to construct the sanitary sewer and watermain on Olive Street next week.

June 30, 2023

This week the contractor continued installing storm sewer on Main Street.

Upcoming Work

Next week, the contractor will not be working on July 3 or July 4. Storm sewer construction on Main Street and the remaining water services is anticipated to be completed. Setup of the temporary water system for Stage 2 will begin.

It is now anticipated that the sidewalk on both sides of Main Street from Maple Street to a location just west of the Bakery on Main will be removed on Monday, July 10, weather dependent. The sidewalk on both sides of Main Street from the Bakery to Olive Street is anticipated to be removed on Thursday, July 13, weather dependent. Notifications will be made if these dates are altered due to weather or other potential delays. This sidewalk removal needs to occur to begin work on building up the new road and sidewalks. The designated pedestrian access routes will be rearranged as needed in order to keep access to businesses open to the extent possible. If businesses have rear accesses, these may need to be utilized as much as possible, as there will be short amounts of time that work will be occurring directly in front of doors on Main Street. Construction staff will be reaching out to businesses next week to deliver notifications and answer any questions about this phase of work.

June 23, 2023

This week the contractor continued installing water services and storm sewer on Main Street. Stage 2 of construction is underway by closing Olive Street to remove the pavement and curbs in preparation for upcoming utility work.

Upcoming Work

Next week the contractor plans to continue storm sewer construction on Main Street and complete the two remaining water services. They will also begin to set up the temporary water system for Stage 2. The existing sidewalk will be left in to the extent possible to assist with business access and pedestrian traffic.

For the week of July 3, the contractor does not anticipate working on July 3 or July 4. It is anticipated that the sidewalks on Main Street will be removed when crews get back to work on Wednesday, July 5. This removal needs to occur to begin work on building up the new road and sidewalks. The delineator panels and floor mats used to designate pedestrian access routes will be rearranged in order to keep access to businesses open. Construction staff will be reaching out to businesses next week to deliver notifications and answer any questions about this phase of work.

June 16, 2023

This week the contractor continued installing water main and water services on Main Street. The installation of storm sewer also began at the end of this week.

Upcoming Work

Next week water service and storm sewer installation work will continue. Water service work will require access into most buildings to make the connections.

The contractor will also move into Stage 2 of construction (Olive Street from Main Street to 1st Street). Please refrain from parking on this block after this weekend. Detour and traffic control signage will be modified to accommodate this larger construction area. The pavement is scheduled to be reclaimed (ground up and left in place) on Tuesday. Removal of this excess reclaim material along with other removals will then occur for the remainder of the week. The existing sidewalk will be left in place to the extent possible to assist with business access and pedestrian traffic.

June 9, 2023

This week, the contractor has been constructing the sanitary sewer on Main Street from Vine Street towards Olive Street. Water main construction began moving east from the Maple Street intersection.

Upcoming Work

Next week, the contractor will continue working on the sanitary sewer and water main. It is anticipated that late next week, the contractor could begin to construct the water service lines to the buildings. This will require access into most buildings in order to make the connections. Properties will be required to provide access to the water connections and meters inside the buildings. Please begin to move any items or storage that may be in the way of completing this work in advance. Notices will be handed out to affected properties early next week about clearing space to work in basements.

It is anticipated that the week of June 19, that the contractor will begin on Stage 2. This will entail closing Olive Street to remove pavement and curbs to setup the temporary water system. Detour and traffic control signage will be moved to push traffic to Elm Street for the remainder of the project. Parking and access to businesses will still be available on Main Street between Olive Street and Elm Street, it will become a “dead end” street during Stage 2 construction.

June 2, 2023

This week, the contractor began constructing the sanitary sewer on Main Street from Maple Street to Vine Street and will begin water main construction today, June 2, on that same block.

Pedestrian Access

Pedestrian access routes have been identified with barricades and signs to help pedestrians safely navigate the construction zone. Please try to use our designated crossing locations at the intersections of Olive, Vine, and Maple to walk across Main Street. The other parts of the roadway may have grade breaks and trip hazards that are unsafe for pedestrians.

Sanitary sewer and watermain construction will create deep trenches in the roadway and compliance with pedestrian access routes and traffic control will be very important for safe navigation through the construction site. During underground utility work there will be times that one of the designated pedestrian crossings is not accessible due to a large trench in the roadway. But there will always be at least two crossings accessible at these times. All utility trenches will be filled up with soil at the end of each workday and not left open overnight.

Upcoming Work

Next week, the contractor will continue east from Vine Street towards Olive Street on sanitary sewer and water main work. The new water main will be connected at Maple Street on Monday, June 5. This connection will require a water shutoff that is scheduled for Monday, June 5 at 7:00am, during which water will be unavailable for approximately 2-3 hours. Properties affected by the water shutoff will receive hand delivered notices today from construction staff. It is anticipated that later in the week the contractor will begin to construct the utility service lines to the buildings. This will require access into most buildings in order to make the connections.

May 26, 2023

There was not much construction activity this week as the temporary water system was being setup and tested prior to connecting to the watermain next week.

Pedestrian Access

Pedestrian access routes have been identified with barricades and signs to help pedestrians safely navigate the construction zone. Please try to use our designated crossing locations at the intersections of Olive, Vine, and Maple to walk across Main Street. The other parts of the roadway may have grade breaks and trip hazards that are unsafe for pedestrians.

Upcoming Work

Next week, the contractor anticipates connecting the temporary water system up to the watermain. A couple buildings on the west end of the project site will have the small water services connected to their buildings, while most other buildings will continue to have their water attached to the existing watermain. This system connection is scheduled for Tuesday, May 30 at 7:00am at which time water will be unavailable for approximately 2-3 hours. Properties affected by the water shutoff will receive hand delivered notices by construction staff on Friday, May 26.

After the temporary water system is connected, construction on the sanitary sewer system will begin and is anticipated to last through all of next week. This construction will create deep trenches in the roadway, it is very important to use the designated crossing locations during this construction. During underground utility work, one of the designated pedestrian crossings may not be accessible at times, however, there will always be at least two accessible crossings. All utility trenches will be filled up with soil at the end of each workday and not left open overnight.

May 19, 2023

Construction work has officially begun on Main Street. This week, traffic control and detour signs were set up to help traffic navigate around the work zone. The street pavement and some sidewalk has been removed in anticipation of the upcoming underground utility work. Olive Street will remain open to traffic and parking until approximately mid-June when Stage 2 of construction is anticipated to begin.

Pedestrian Access

Pedestrian access routes have been identified with barricades and signs to help pedestrians safely navigate the construction zone. Please use our designated crossing locations at the intersections of Olive, Vine, and Maple to walk across Main Street. The other parts of the roadway may have grade breaks and trip hazards that are unsafe for pedestrians.

Upcoming Work

Next week, the contractor anticipates setting up the temporary water system. This system is anticipated to be connected to properties starting the week of May 30. When the temporary system is first connected, there will be a short water shutoff. Impacted properties will be notified of the exact timing of this shutoff once it is determined. Construction on the sanitary sewer and water main is anticipated to begin sometime following Memorial Day.

May 8, 2023

The preconstruction meeting was held last week and a tentative project schedule has been set. Construction will begin on Monday, May 15th. Initial work will include traffic control setup, erosion control setup, and light pole removals. Following this work, the pavement on Main Street will be removed along with other miscellaneou removals. Then a temporary water system will be installed and utility installation work will commence. Work on Main Street utilities is anticipated to occur for approximately two months.

Informal meetings are scheduled as follows for business owners to discuss the project with construction staff:

  • Initial meetings on Tuesday, May 9th at 11:00am and 4:30pm at City Hall.
  • Office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting May 18th from 2:00 – 4:00pm at the job trailer west of Vine Street.

April 27, 2023

A preconstruction meeting for the Downtown Reconstruction Phase 1 project will be held late next week.  After this meeting, the construction start date and tentative construction schedule details will be known.  This information will be included on the project website and in a direct mailer to the impacted properties.  Also, the City of Waconia is hosting a business Question & Answer Session for the upcoming construction project on Tuesday, May 9th at City Hall.  Two times are available at 11:00 am and 4:30 pm.  Please join us to discuss the project and ask any questions that you may have.

April 24, 2023

A construction contract was awarded to GMH Asphalt Corporation from Chaska, MN.  A preconstruction meeting will be held in approximately two weeks.  After that meeting, a direct mailing will be sent and the project website will be updated with the anticipated construction start date.

March 16, 2023

The final design of the project has been completed and is currently being advertised to receive bids. The bid opening is scheduled for April 11, 2023.  Assuming favorable bids and no delays with the bid opening, the City Council would then consider awarding a construction contract at the April 17, 2023 City Council meeting.

February 10, 2023

Join us for an open house on Wednesday, February 15th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at City Hall. The purpose of this meeting is to share the progress on the final design, share the anticipated schedule moving forward, address any property concerns that may be able to be included in the design, and to answer questions. We hope to see you there!

January 31, 2023

At the January 25, 2022 City Council Meeting the City Council elected to make a scope change to the project.  The proposed streets in the Phase 1 project area are now planned to be wider than what was previously decided.  The new proposed widths are as follows:

  • Main Street (total street width of 62 feet):
    • 16-foot drive lanes
    • 18.5-foot angled parking on the north side
    • 11.5-foot parallel parking on the south side
    • 9-foot sidewalks on both sides
  • Olive Street (total street width of 48 feet):
    • 13-foot drive lanes
    • 11-foot parallel parking on both sides
    • 9-foot sidewalks on both sides

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to one of the project contacts.

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CONTACT

RYAN JOHNSON, PROJECT MANAGER

Bolton & Menk, Inc.

ryan.johnson@bolton-menk.com

952-426-8335

 

JAKE SAULSBURY, P.E., CITY ENGINEER

Bolton & Menk, Inc.

jake.saulsbury@bolton-menk.com

612-756-4319