Press Release from Mount Pleasant:
Mount Pleasant received a Notice to Proceed with Construction from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for a Downtown Revitalization Project in late March, which moves the project to the bidding phase.
The project is Phase I of a Downtown Revitalization Project that will include new accessible sidewalks, ADA compliant pedestrian ramps, new pedestrian lighting, and amenities including benches, trash receptacles, and bike racks.
TDOT awarded the City $1.25 million in Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant funds in 2018 for the pedestrian improvements. As part of the grant agreement, the City must provide a minimum match of 20% to receive those funds.
In total, the project construction is expected to cost about $2.5 million.
Kate Collier, City Manager, reported, “This project has been in the making for many years. It started with a Downtown Master Plan, continued with a grant application to TDOT, then years of coordination and going through TDOT’s required processes. We are thrilled to finally put this project out to bid!”
The bidding process is expected to be initiated over the next several weeks, with a bid opening in early May.
More approvals and coordination with TDOT will have to take place before formal award. However, the City hopes to be able to begin construction later this summer and the project complete by the fall of 2024.
The schedule of implementation of the Phase I project is timely, given that the City was awarded approximately $1.85 million in a 2022 TAP grant for the pedestrian improvements in the Phase II project area. This is part of the City’s on-going commitment to implement the master plan for revitalization of Mount Pleasant’s downtown.
