Prairie Village Public Works Director Keith Bredehoeft had a bit of good news for the city earlier this week: The bids for the quality-of-life improvements along the stretch of Mission Road from 71st Street to 75th Street set to be renovated later this year came in well under budget and likely will not require the council to dedicate unbudgeted funds to the project.
Public works had initially estimated that the improvements — streetlamps with space for banners, benches, two seating walls and special tile inlays for the new eight-foot sidewalk — would cost around $150,000. Actually bids came in at just over $122,000. With the rest of the project’s actually costs coming into focus, Bredehoeft said the city would need to dedicated just $55,400 in additional funds, not the original estimate of $150,000, to build out the quality-of-life improvements.
The city had considered using money from its economic development fund to pay for the aesthetic improvements, but Bredehoeft said there was likely enough money in the city’s 2016 paving program to cover the $55,400.
Final project bids will come before the city council for approval in the coming months.