Spring 2024 – KEM in the News
KEM in the News
Mansfield Control Board OKs $971K in contracts to improve parks infrastructure (richlandsource.com)
The city’s Board of Control on Tuesday awarded a pair of construction contracts totaling $971,839 to improve infrastructure in two city parks.
The projects, already approved by City Council, are for a bridge replacement in North Lake Park and a culvert replacement in Liberty Park, according to city engineer Bob Bianchi.
The Control Board, comprised of Mayor Jodie Perry, Finance Director Kelly Blankenship and Safety Service Director Keith Porch, awarded an $854,940 contract to Adena Corp. of Mansfield to replace the bridge at North Lake Park.
Adena was one of two companies that submitted bids for the project, which had been estimated at $975,000. Great Lakes Demolition of Clyde had bid $1,123,639 in an effort to get the job.
“We’re pleased to see this bid come in,” Bianchi said. “Adena is local and they are very good at what they do. They had the low bid and they are very capable of doing this work.”
Bianchi, who said the project has “some aesthetic components to it,” said the bridge is located as residents enter the park off of West Fourth Street.
“You will see a concrete pad, but that essentially is a bridge. It’s tough to see, but it’s right before you get to the pavilion,” the engineer said.
He said the work, paid from the sewer fund, will likely begin in May and will take about two months to complete, depending on the weather. Bianchi said the road will be closed while the primary replacement work is completed.
The Control Board also awarded a contract up to $98,000 to K.E. McCartney & Associates of Mansfield to provide inspection services for the project.
He said McCartney was the only company to submit qualifications for the project.
“They do have a former (stone) mason on staff who will be out there who used to build these types of veneers and sandstone works. So he was very helpful,” Bianchi said.
For the culvert project in Liberty Park, the Control Board awarded a $116,899 contract to Bartley & Bolin Excavating/Trucking of Ashland, the lowest of eight bids submitted for the project. The next lowest bid was $139,496 and the highest was $158,969.
The estimate for the project was $150,000, according to Bianchi, who said McCartney will be paid to inspect the work. The project, on the park’s east drive near the site of the former pavilion, is being paid for out of the city sewer fund.
“There is a little bit of disparity there (in the bids), but we verified with Bartley & Bolin and they are comfortable with their bid and are ready to get going,” Bianchi said.
“They won’t start construction right away. There are materials that need to be ordered and the box culvert will take six to eight weeks to arrive,” the engineer said.
Perry said she was at Liberty Park on Monday.
“I looked at that (culvert) and some of the other projects that are coming up and I think it will be a great addition,” the mayor said.
Bianchi said the project will take about 30 days to complete and traffic in that area will be closed during the work.
Thanks to Mansfield Rising, plans are underway to transform Mansfield’s downtown, creating a more vibrant space for all and making a better front door entrance to the community.
As the streetscape project is making headway, lots of questions can be answered to give the public more insight into what the next couple years will look like in order to reach the finish line.
A partnership with K.E. McCartney and Associates (KEM)
The city of Mansfield and KEM have been collaborating to create a more welcoming, pedestrian-friendly downtown environment.
The process of choosing KEM as the consultant for this project started with a required quality based selection process by the city in 2020. Many candidates submitted their qualifications, but ultimately KEM was the most qualified for this project.
“KEM has experienced engineers on staff who have done this kind of work many times before. A professional product has been delivered at each stage of the project thus far. We anticipate the same with stage three plan submission,” Mansfield City Engineer Bob Bianchi said.
The vision of making downtown Mansfield more of an attraction to the community, businesses and travelers was beginning to become a reality when this partnership came to fruition.
Renderings show the walkway in front of Richland Bank.
Project schedule
Talk about the streetscape project began in 2017, but authorization for work began in June 2021. Stage one submission was completed Oct. 2021 and just five months later, 60% of the plans were submitted in March 2022.
As deadlines are approaching, the team is working fervently to meet the project’s milestones.
By April 3, they expect 90% of the planning stage will be complete.
With several components in play, including the schedule, Director of Transportation Engineering at KEM Jason Burgholder highlighted the importance of keeping the public informed on the progress.
“We started this project in 2017, looking at the impacts and benefits in going from one-way traffic to two-way,” he said. “Now we are about to complete the plans and prepare for the construction phase.”
The project’s scope is significant, stretching from First to Sixth Street. The initiative stems from the Mansfield Rising plan, aimed at revitalizing the city’s core.
Renderings showcase sandstone features and seating walls, a revitalized fountain in the bank plaza, two lighted arches over Main Street, a new mid-block lighted crosswalk to help reconnect Central Park, planting strips to separate pedestrian corridors from the street, crosswalks made from salvaged bricks from the last brick road in Mansfield, Columbia Ave., and more. Traffic signals will also be coordinated to create a safer environment for those on foot.
“Main Street, our main artery, did not reflect who we were as a community. We are moving into a much more beautiful, pedestrian-friendly corridor,” Mayor Jodie Perry said.
There will be many areas for pedestrians to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or a conversation with friends.
Construction is slated to begin in Feb. 2025 starting with water line replacements followed by block-by-block work. During this time traffic will be detoured, assuring continued access to businesses.
“Our goal will be to communicate with owners, tenants and the public as much as we can, so everyone understands where we are headed with construction,” Bianchi said.
Funding updates
The length of time spent on the streetscape project may seem laborious, but when state and federal funding is involved, processes do take longer.
Part of the slowdown is following the acquisition guidelines in order to acquire property, which can take up to 18 months. Despite the necessary tedious steps taken in the last few years, the timeline of the project has barely wavered.
“Things are really moving along and it is amazing we are at this point in the process,” Bianchi said.
To date, roughly $14.7 million in grants have been secured though 7 different agencies. The current estimate for the entire project is just over $14.7 million.
This revitalized area will include a small stream of water that will flow behind a seating bench and into the fountain.
The streetscape project represents a collective effort to shape Mansfield’s future.
“It’s about creating a destination, improving the feel for pedestrians, and breathing new life into our community,” President/Owner of KEM Brian McCartney said.
KEM Announces Appointments of Rufener and Spurlock (richlandsource.com)
Brian and Ken McCartney have announced the following appointments at K.E. McCartney & Associates, Inc. (KEM):
Mark Rufener has been named Chief Operating Officer and Danielle Spurlock Chief Financial Officer.
In addition, Danielle Spurlock, Cody Gerhardt, and Ryan Simon will be joining Mark Rufener, Jason Burgholder, Matthew Hasel, Matthew Witter, and Phil Lewis on KEM’s Board of Directors.
KEM’s mission is to provide quality civil engineering and surveying services that exceed client expectations, these appointments will help to continue a 45-year tradition of doing just that.
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