The council accepted the low bids and approved the as-bid budgets for the reconstruction of Fourth Street Southwest, several seal-coating projects and stormwater improvements.
The council during the May 4 meeting also authorized the advertisement for bids for renovation of the former wastewater treatment plant building on Fifth Street Southeast to be the network operations center for the citywide broadband project known as Willmar Connect.
Fourth Street Southwest will be narrowed as part of the reconstruction from Willmar Avenue to Trott Avenue. Currently, the street is 48 feet wide with a seven-foot boulevard, five-foot sidewalk, and two-foot buffer. Following reconstruction, the street will be 38 feet wide with a 14-foot boulevard and the sidewalk and buffer will remain the same.
The city engineer's estimate for the project was approximately $5.1 million and the low bid from Ryan Contracting was approximately $4.7 million. The council accepted the bid and approved the as-bid budget of approximately $5.9 million.
The city engineer's estimate for the seal coating was $213,385.25 and the low bid from Asphalt Surface Technologies Corp. was $136,238.05. The council accepted the bid and approved the as-bid budget of $193,900 for seal coating.
The 2026 stormwater improvement projects include the installation of structures near 23rd Street Southeast and Eighth Avenue Southeast to address debris and sediment buildup in the storm sewers; work to address the heaved roadway on Gorton Avenue Northwest; and construction of a swale and berm to address drainage concerns on High Avenue Northeast.
The city engineer's estimate for the stormwater improvements was $173,968. The council accepted the low bid of $122,155.49 from Hoffman Construction and approved the as-bid budget of $168,800.
The network operations center is necessary to provide service, functionality, monitoring and support for the Willmar Connect network and the city engineer's estimate is $330,000 for its construction, according to Information Technology Director Jonah Johnson.
Willmar Connect is the city's plan to construct a city-owned, open-access broadband network that will be operated and managed by Hometown Fiber. Multiple Internet service providers can operate on the network, paying fees to the city that will generate revenue to service the debt and interest on the bonds issued to pay for network construction.
Phase one of the project will take place this year, constructing the network operations center and installing fiber-optic lines for all businesses and residences west of First Street South between U.S. Highway 12 and 19th Avenue.
Phase two of the project will install fiber-optic lines for businesses and residences south of 19th Avenue and east of First Street South and is expected to commence next year. Phase three, expected in 2028, will finish the installation of fiber-optic lines north of Highway 12.
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