Last edited 5:16 p.m., Oct. 11, 2012The city of Branson’s capital improvements committee on Oct. 8 selected Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. among three finalists to perform engineering work for a nearly $5 million downtown streetscape project.
Branson Economic Development Director Garrett Anderson said City Engineer David Miller is now negotiating a contract for the Board of Aldermen’s review and approval, the final step in a six-month selection process.
Anderson expects aldermen would vote on a contract within two months, though he said should the city and CMT become unable to agree on contract terms, city officials would negotiate with the committee’s runner-up, Vireo, which operates offices in Kansas City and Omaha, Neb. The third finalist was St. Louis-based Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets Inc., according to
BransonMo.gov, which shows each of the firm’s presentations.
“CMT rose to the top,” Anderson said, noting a key factor was that Springfield, Ill.-based CMT operates an office in Springfield, 40 miles north of Branson. “They seemed to put a lot of research into it ahead of time. They were visiting with downtown business owners and community leaders months in advance of submitting their proposal.”
Fred Mathews, co-manager of CMT’s Springfield office, said the process formally started in April, and the city received more than 20 proposals.
“It’s working,” said Steve Prange, co-manager with Mathews, of Branson’s historic downtown. “It’s just giving it a little facelift.”
Anderson said Branson has budgeted $400,000 this year for the project, and $800,000 in each of the next five years. He said the core of the project is to improve pedestrian and traffic flow with use of sidewalk and intersection improvements and aesthetic features such as landscaping and park benches. The city anticipates a large part of the cost would be dedicated to underground infrastructure work to replace water pipes.
“It’s not a shot in the arm into a dying downtown,” Anderson said. “We just want to make sure it stays vibrant and healthy for the future.”
A component to CMT’s plan is connecting guests at Branson Landing and Lake Taneycomo to the downtown area, a five-minute walk to the west. “A link is needed to guide them to downtown with walk-able sidewalks, informative signing and a memorable experience,” the presentation states.
Previous streetscape projects by CMT include East Trafficway improvements along Jordan Valley Park and Hammons Field in Springfield; a revitalization plan for downtown Indianapolis, connecting the Indiana Convention Center and Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers; and a 500-foot bridge replacement in Rockford, Ill.[[In-content Ad]]
