City moves on Taylor Industrial Park/ Highway 31 project

James Beaty, McAlester News-Capital, Okla.
·3 min read

Mar. 22—A more than half-million dollar project to upgrade infrastructure services through the Steven Taylor Industrial Park/State Highway 31 project is moving forward.

The estimated $586,000 Steven Taylor Industrial Park Improvements project includes sanitary sewer improvements to serve the north side of State Highway 31.

City councilors approved the project, authorizing Mayor John Browne to sign a work order for professional services with the McAlester-based Infrastructure Solutions Group.

ISG's services include serving as project engineers and serving as the city's representative while the project is underway.

Purpose of the project is to improve the Steven Taylor Industrial Park sewer lines along with an extension to serve the north side of State Highway 31, with a probable total cost of $586,000.

That includes an estimated construction cost of $513,800, with engineering fees and other costs including a survey fee and a state Department of Environmental Quality construction permit fee bringing the total cost to $586,000.

Project costs are part of the city of McAlester's PREP/SITES grant, administered through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

McAlester Mayor John Browne said Thursday the project will be beneficial to the city, by providing waster water service in an area where it is needed.

"We've been approached by companies wanting to tie in on the north side with our waste water system," Browne said. He said the city was sympathetic, but did not previously have the funds available to provide the infrastructure upgrade.

"Getting the grant is allowing us to do this," Browne said, adding he is appreciative of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce working with the city on the project.

Included in the project, along with estimated costs from IGS President Dale Burke include:

—Laying 1,220 linear feet of an eight-inch gravity sewer main at a total cost of $152,500.

—A lift station, including a wet well, pumps, fencing and electronic controls at a cost of $125,000.

—Four concrete manholes, four feet in diameter, at a cost of $5,500 each, for a total price of $22,000.

—Five stub outs for sewer service connections at $1,000 each, for a $5,000 total.

—Standby power generator with automatic transfer switch, $50,000.

—Eight-inch bore and steel casing for highway and railroad, with four-inch HDPE Force Maine Center Pipe, 180 linear feet at a cost of $72,000.

—Four-inch force main, 770 linear feet, at a price of $38,500.

—Connecting force main to existing manhole at cost of $2,000.

The SITES program — Supporting Industrial Transformation and Economic Success — which has awarded the city a grant to pay for its project costs, began Feb. 1, 2023.

Purpose of the program is to "proactively address statewide infrastructure needs to meet the demand of existing businesses as well as companies looking to establish operation n Oklahoma," according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

Money comes American Rescue Plan Act funds, distributed through the Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity, or PREP, program.

When the program began, Oklahoma had $29.95 million in unallocated money in the PREP fund, created in 2022 by the state legislature.