First downtown Fresno revitalization contract awarded. $18.8M to rebuild water, sewer mains
The first major work to rebuild aging water and sewer lines in downtown Fresno is expected to get underway by this fall — bringing with it the prospect of eight to nine months of traffic entanglements from trenching, excavation and installation of new pipelines.
The Fresno City Council has awarded an $18.8 million construction contract to Floyd Johnston Construction, a Clovis contractor, to replace about 2.7 miles of underground water mains and more than a mile of sewer mains in Fresno’s downtown and Chinatown districts.
The work is a key part of Mayor Jerry Dyer’s ambitious plan to revitalize downtown Fresno with an eye toward attracting more residents, commerce and nightlife to the city’s historic core.
Money for the work is coming from the first installment of a $250 million infrastructure grant from the state of California, pledged to the city last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Fresno received the first $50 million, but two subsequent yearly installments of $100 million each have been stalled for at least one year, and perhaps longer, because of the state’s budget woes.
“The state of California has shown a belief in Fresno, and they’ve backed that up with the finances to transform our downtown,” Dyer said in a prepared statement following the City Council’s vote June 13.
“By putting this money to work quickly and efficiently, we are showing proof of performance to the state as we await further previously promised funding.”
Besides replacing the water and sewer lines themselves to bring them up to modern standards, the work will include trenching, excavation and restoration and repairing pavement along the way.
A staff report to the City Council notes that water mains in the downtown area generally bounded by Tuolumne Street, M Street, Highway 99 and Highway 41 could be prone to failure because of inferior pipes that in some areas are as much as 90 years old.
But, the report adds, “there will be little to no increase in capacity or use” of the rebuilt water and sewer lines.
That will come later with future improvements to increase the water and sewer capacity in the area with an eye toward building the population in downtown and Chinatown to 10,000 residents.
The Johnston firm was the only construction company to bid on the project. Bid documents indicate that once the city gives the contractor a green light, the company has 260 days to complete the work.
In addition to the $200 million the city is awaiting, Fresno was also awarded another $43.7 million for other capital and infrastructure improvements intended to support more residential development downtown.
In total, the city’s revitalization plans include:
- Using about $70 million to build two new parking structures amounting to about 2,000 parking stalls, effectively doubling the existing number of city-owned parking spaces in the area.
- About $25 million for a storm water drainage basin downtown.
- About $20 million for an intermodal transit center to be incorporated into a future high-speed rail passenger station to promote alternatives to driving, including buses, bicycles and walking.
- About $20 million for improvements to streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters in downtown Fresno and the neighboring Chinatown area.
- About $15 million for parks and other green space in the area.
- About $10 million for upgrades to sewer lines along Fresno and Merced streets.
- About $10 million for a 16-inch water main loop along H and F streets between Stanislaus and Mono streets.
