Dear Assumption Family,
As the new year begins, I wanted to give you an update on the parking lot project that has been in the works for several months.
In early April we began working with Shive-Hattery on addressing all the challenges with our current parking lot. Instead of a quick fix, we chose to look at everything that needed to be addressed such as traffic flow, drainage, optimization of space available and lighting/security. With an investment of this size, the goal has been to do this the right way, not the quickest way.
During this process we were made aware of several challenges with a project of this magnitude. First was the need for a water retention plan, which required extended architectural designs and approval from the city. Second was the need to address ADA compliance and access, which has long been a challenge in the lot. Third was the electrical plan for lighting in the lot which required coordination from the engineers, Mid-American, St. Ambrose and potential contractors.
These challenges coupled with supply chain issues and scheduling conflicts have increased the amount of time needed to get the job started. In the past week we have been dealing with Mid-American’s plan to replace their gas line on our property. Many of you who have been to school in the last week have noticed the amount of work being done on West Central Park, the driveway and student entrance hill. It certainly would not have been ideal for us to start a project that would be torn up when they began their construction.
With the help of Shive-Hattery and consultant Matt Thompson we have broken the project into three phases. Our hope is that we can begin Phase I (the front circle drive) yet this fall with the back lot construction to begin early summer of 2023. On August 17 we received the initial bid for phase one and everyone involved in the process is reviewing the proposal. Currently, we still need to get the electrical plan in place for a final price, which should happen early next week.
I truly appreciate all your support of this project and wanted you all to know its status. Even though we were unable to get everything in place to accomplish this project over the summer our goal is to get at least the first part done yet this fall – with phase II and III to be completed next summer. We appreciate your patience.
Thank you,
Andy Craig, President