Many city projects moving forward in 2024 with increased costs creating concern

Jan. 13—Decatur has a lot of planned projects starting or underway as 2024 begins but their unknown costs create financial uncertainty, Mayor Tab Bowling said.

The city will seek bids soon on the Sixth Avenue streetscape project, Modaus Road widening plan, a new Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market and a new recreation center at Wilson Morgan Park.

Bowling said these projects have other funding sources but there is concern about them coming in over budget, especially with the impact of inflation.

This would force the city to dip into its $20 million balance in its unassigned reserves for fiscal 2024, he said.

"Until we get these projects out of the ground, I don't know if it would be responsible to start planning any new projects," Bowling said. "The council may have some other things in mind. I just don't know where the funding would come from."

Council President Jacob Ladner said the city has had some good economic times, but he expects a slowdown in 2024.

"You've just got to have a plan and prioritize where we invest in the future," Ladner said.

Ladner said the Sixth Avenue streetscape and the replacement of the U.S. 31 causeway lights will be moving soon now that they're approved by the Alabama Department of Transportation.

The Sixth Avenue project is an estimated $10 million beautification of the area between Hudson Memorial Bridges and Prospect Drive Southwest funded with half of a $20 million bond issue.

"These projects are probably good examples for people who don't work in government getting frustrated with how long things take in government," Ladner said. "I hope we can get both of those projects moving really quickly because of the costs."

Decatur Utilities began putting utilities underground last year as its portion of the Sixth Avenue streetscape.

Spokesman Joe Holmes said gas and water relocations are complete. The relocations of the city's sewer mains are in progress with completion expected next month, he said.

Holmes said the utility has completed moving most of the Sixth Avenue overhead power lines underground.

"We anticipate having as much complete as possible by mid- to late February with the caveat that some work is pending removal of other utility company attachments, traffic lights and completion of other aspects of the project," Holmes said.

Councilman Billy Jackson said the council needs to examine its spending and reconsider some of the projects the city is planning, especially the Sixth Avenue streetscape plan.

"I think we are spending unnecessarily," Jackson said. "Before long our spending patterns are going to come back and impact the future of this city. The biggest thing we need to do is reign in our spending and look at just spending on the basic necessities."

Ladner said the Sixth Avenue project has already begun and he does not see any willingness from the council majority to stop it.

Jackson said District 1 and the city are in "desperate need" of road resurfacing, especially where DU did its pipe-bursting as part of a $165 million bond issue that's funding sewer main replacement throughout the city.

"They've basically patched our streets and resurfaced small portions of our streets, which makes for a bumpy ride," Jackson said.

Ladner said part of DU's $165 bond issue will repave the roads damaged by the sewer replacement, but DU is completing the replacement before it does the paving.

Jackson said there are also drainage issues throughout the entire city that the council needs to solve.

Councilman Carlton McMasters said he is not worried about the city's finances.

"From a budgetary standpoint, we've maintained a very conservative approach to projected revenues and expenditures," McMasters said. "I'd defer to (Chief Financial Officer Kyle Demeester) but I think we're in good shape financially. — Recreation projects

The council liaison to Parks and Recreation, McMasters said he anticipates in 2024 seeing movement on projects like the $53.5 million recreation center planned at Wilson Morgan Park and the $17 million ballfields off Modaus Road. The city is also spending $7 million on a new event center, covered pickleball courts and covered tennis courts at Point Mallard Park.

"What's going on at Point Mallard is exciting for the whole city, not just District 3," McMasters said.

Councilman Kyle Pike has expressed his support for the Sixth Avenue project that's in his District 2. He said he's also looking forward to completion of the downtown parking deck and he expects work to begin on the new Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market.

Pike said a big priority this year in District 2 is updating infrastructure for several multi-family developments with retail spots on Bank Street and Second Avenue.

"We also know there's a need for more restaurants," Pike said.

In his District 3, McMasters said there are a few loose ends that need to be addressed on some of the parks. These include landscaping at the new park off Indian Hills Road Southeast, parking improvements for the park at Frances Nungester Elementary School and the addition of a pergola or pavilion at the new park at Lynette Drive Southwest.

McMasters said he also wants to see movement on the Alabama 67/Upper River Road intersection widening, which will be funded by an Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Project grant, and the Upper River Road/Indian Hills Road roundabout.

The city is building both projects because of growth in that area of Southeast Decatur.

Councilman Hunter Pepper said his focus for 2024 is improving his District 4 in Southwest Decatur "by creating better infrastructure and reaching out to the community. I want to find more aggressive ways to reach out to our residents. I want to talk to them, so we know each other and care about each other."

He said many areas of District 4 need to be cleaned up.

"My goal is to reach out to people (in these areas) and ask them to help me a little bit," Pepper said.

Pepper said he has several projects in District 4 that he would like to see accomplished. He said he wasn't ready to say which ones, except he still wants the walking trail at Wilson Morgan Park paved.

Ladner said the ballfield complex and the widening of Modaus Road and Bunny Lane are the three major projects coming to his District 5 this year. The Modaus Road widening is estimated to cost about $7 million.

Ladner said Bunny Lane is a two-lane road that goes to one lane, "so we basically need to make this a real road." The road will help Deerfoot Estates residents, the ballfield complex and possibly Austin High School, he said.

The learning center/outdoor park, estimated to cost roughly $620,000, at Chestnut Grove Elementary School should be completely done this spring, Ladner said.

Bowling said there are projects that they're considering or will pop up during the new year.

The mayor said the city has already begun moving the city's departments to new locations as planned. Human Resources completed its move last week to Fort Decatur, and Finance moved to the Union Depot.

The Police Department will replace HR on the second floor at City Hall.

Planning, Information Systems and Engineering, plus the Metropolitan Planning Organization, are moving out of the city's leased annex at Cain and Ferry streets to the fourth floor of City Hall.

"It will really be nice to have Planning and Building on the same floor," Bowling said.

Bowling said they talked with some potential sublessees of the annex "but it's not going like I would have hoped. I'm afraid it's going to be difficult to find someone willing to take on such a short lease."

He said the city needs interest rates to come down so it can continue the housing growth that began when rates were around 3% to 4%.

"It was like the brakes came on when the interest rates increased," Bowling said.

However, the mayor pointed out that the city is still approving plans for new subdivisions while some are already under construction.

Rausch Coleman Homes began building Glenmont Acres subdivision off Central Avenue and Poole Valley Road near the Flint area in Southwest Decatur. It's already started 11 homes as part of up to six planned phases with as many as 260 new homes on 34.75 acres.

He said that with 700 new jobs coming to First Solar Inc., under construction in northeast Lawrence County, and hundreds more jobs coming to United Launch Alliance and Nucor, "people are going to need a place to live."

Bowling said he sees a need for additional restaurants in the downtown area after the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott hotel opened this week and with the Alabama Center for the Arts residence hall opening on Johnston Street Southeast this year.

"The challenge with the restaurants is staff, anywhere you go, not just Decatur, Alabama," he said. "Entertainment is also something we need."

Bowling said his understanding is that as soon as the city finishes the parking deck — likely in early spring — work will begin on the art center's planned dance studio at the corner of Moulton Street and First Avenue Northeast.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.