Aldermen Agree to Up Budget for St. Charles Lot

St. Charles aldermen agreed Monday night to add another $50,000 to the budget for a parking lot that, once built, will have cost the city more than $1 million.

The City Council Government Services Committee recommended that course after learning that demolition costs for the VFW building, 119 N. 3rd St., had exceeded staff estimates by about $51,000.

The city completed the purchase of the building and adjacent land in June at a cost of $800,000, with plans to spend $200,000 to demolish the building and turn the entire parcel into a temporary parking lot. The city funded the purchase and demolition/construction budget from leftover funds for the construction of the Red Gate Bridge, which opened in December.

City officials hope one day to build a parking deck on the VFW  site, although those plans are at least a decade off, if not longer, aldermen said during Monday’s meeting.

But the city had estimated the cost of demolishing the structure at just $25,000, said Public Works Director Mark Koenen. To date, he continued, the city has spent about $81,000 for environmental investigations and demolition, which should be complete by the end of this week.

The cost of installing the parking lot is estimated at $170,660, Koenen said, which is short of the $119,000 remaining in the budget.

Koenen laid out several options for aldermen to consider, ranging from increasing the project budget by $50,000 — using money remaining from the city’s Red Gate Bridge fund — to a less costly $26,000 budget increase that would leave the existing parking lot on the property largely intact. Aldermen rejected that option for several reasons, including the annual maintenance that would be required and aesthetic concerns.

Aldermen also rejected a third option that would have postponed work on the parking lot.

Forging ahead on the project now will assure its completion by the time of the annual Scarecrow Festival this fall, Koenen said.

The City Council on July 1 approved the contract with American Demolition Corporation to tear down the VFW building.

The city staff has designed the new parking lot for the site with the blessing of both the St. Charles Historic Preservation Commission and the City Council.

The next phase of the project will be reconstruction of the existing lot and the addition of the new lot on the site of the VFW building.

The city plans to work with ALamp Concrete on the new parking lot’s construction.

Plans for the new lot include landscaping around the property which city officials said should serve as an adequate buffer between the parking lot and adjacent residential property. Lighting at the lot also will be new.

The aldermen voted unanimously to recommend approval of the budget increase for the lot.

Aldermen Table Building Repairs

Also on Monday, aldermen tabled for 30 days a proposed budget and spending plan for the first phase of renovations to the former George’s Sporting Goods building, 107-109 E. Main St.

The city announced the purchase of that building, also funded by leftover monies from the Red Gate Bridge project, in December. Among the potential uses being considered for the building is as an annex to the adjacent Arcada Theatre.

Since announcing the purchase, city staff has prepared a preliminary report on the condition of the building and which prioritizes necessary maintenance and construction work. The city also has solicited requests for proposals from architectson Phase 1 of the building remodel project.

Proposed Phase 1 construction includes weather-proofing the building — including a new roof; parapet and masonry repairs; removal of exterior stairs; cleanup of debris inside the building; the abatement of hazardous material; and the installation, as per code, of life-safety equipment.

The staff’s executive summary to aldermen states that the scheduled work for Phase 1 construction has been prioritized by staff and would be done in order of priority until the project’s budget of $125,000 is depleted.

Related:

• June 26, 2013: City completes purchase of VFW

• May 7, 2013: VFW Sells Building, Land to St. Charles for $800,000

• Dec. 18, 2012: City To Buy George’s Sports Center Building for $225,000

• Dec. 18, 2012: George’s Building Could Be Used as Arcada Annex

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