The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency voted Sept. 18 to move forward with undergrounding a final section of utilities in the historic district, a project estimated to cost about $1.3 million.
In a unanimous decision, the CRA, comprising the commission and mayor, directed staff and consultant Mark Porter of Utility Consultants of Florida to coordinate with Florida Power & Light on a binding estimate for the “Gulf Drive Phase 3” undergrounding.
The CRA also authorized a $58,775 work assignment to cover survey and coordination expenses.
According to an Aug. 27 letter from FPL, a “ballpark” estimate to bury utilities in the area — streets in the district north of Bridge Street — is $763,447.
The letter indicated that the project qualifies for about $203,000 in storm restoration and operational credits, lowering the city’s net FPL costs to $560,000.
Additional costs — including surveying, carrier line conversions, and street restoration — bring the total estimate near $1.3 million.
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh motioned to get the binding estimate and issue the work assignment to Porter, with Commissioner Ralph Cole seconding. The measure passed 5-0.
“This is the last and final section within the CRA district,” Porter said. “Once complete, the district will be fully undergrounded except for the trailer park area, which is not ready for conversion.”
City attorney Ricinda Perry, who resigned that day, said tackling the “ugly work” of undergrounding before investing in streetscape beautification has been a priority in the CRA, a tax-increment financing district bounded by the Gulf, the bay, Cortez Road and Fifth Street South.
“You’ve already paid your engineering deposit,” she said. “The question before you is whether to commit to finishing the job,” Perry said.
CRA members cited resiliency and storm recovery as key reasons to act.
Undergrounding “puts the community in a good position when we get windstorms. It means faster recovery and less long-term maintenance,” said Commissioner Ralph Cole.
Once a survey is complete, FPL will spend about three months producing the binding estimate. Construction would begin within 180 days of the estimate’s issuance.
The next CRA meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive north.