FELLSMERE — Parking and road improvements will force New York Avenue in Fellsmere to close for about two weeks sometime next month, according to city officials.
The Fellsmere City Council is expected to have a special meeting next week to award the work to a contractor who will be asked to get the project done within two weeks in order to limit the impact on the nearby business.
Bids for the project, which includes paving over the two gravel parking lots flanking New York near Broadway Street, range from $40,000 to $75,000.
Fellsmere City Councilwoman Sara Savage asked that the contractor selected for the work agree to a 2-week deadline for completing the work.
“I don’t want this stretching out,” she said at Thursday’s council meeting.
City Manager Jason Nunemaker said that the contractors who bid on the work understand the city wants the work done quickly but no agreement has been put into writing.
City officials hope that by closing New York Avenue, construction crews will be better able to get their work done faster than if the road were to remain open.
Whether the road is closed for work or remains open during the span of the project, drivers and pedestrians will be encouraged to avoid the area if possible.
Along with paving the gravel parking lots, the project includes improving drainage in the area, add a sidewalk along the north side of New York and add landscaping.
“It’ll be a real shot in the arm for the area,” Nunemaker said of the project once it is completed.
The city expects to pay for the work out of its Community Redevelopment Agency budget, which is used to make improvements throughout the city’s designated redevelopment area.
The budget consists of tax dollars generated within the targeted CRA zone and funneled back to the same area for improvement projects. No property (ad valorem) taxes are used on the projects.