When the renovation of the area between City Hall and the Amphitheater, including major improvements to the Amphitheater stage itself, were approved late in 2017 and early 2018, the hope was all would be complete by June 1st of this year. But Myers Construction has encountered weather issues resulting in 25 lost construction days in 2018.
As a result, the project is behind schedule. The Board of Public Works and Safety approved an overtime request Monday afternoon to spend up to $184,372 in overtime and supplemental work to hopefully have the northern section of the plans, including the Amphitheater stage, done by July 13th. That date is not set in stone, but the overtime hours will speed up the completion date.
However, the renovation of the pavilion building, which will contain additional rest room facilities, and the area between the pavilion and City Hall, will continue to be under construction on July 13th.
“As we looked at all the things we have contractually obligated, based on concerts and what it would cost for stage rental and things of that nature, we actually think that this is a smart return on investment to try to get this thing done, so that we don’t have to continue to pay for additional manpower, additional rental equipment or even look at cancelling concerts,” Mayor Scott Fadness said.
The mayor says he is “hopeful” this additional funding will get the project over the hump, citing “substantial progress” in the construction work over the last 2-3 weeks.
The money will come from current appropriations.
In other Board of Works actions:
–The board approved a resolution amending agreements between the city and Hamilton Southeastern Utilities, paving the way to petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) for an increase in the impact fee for new sewer hookups from $1,050 to $2,050 per household. Mayor Fadness says this is a way to allow those newly hooking-up to the sewage system to pay for costs of expansion, rather than burdening current users with monthly rate hikes.
–The board will allow parking restrictions in the area between City Hall north to 116th Street on Tuesday and Friday concert nights. This will be in effect only until the Amphitheater renovation is completed, allowing the concerts in the north end of the municipal complex until the Amphitheater stage is ready.
–The city will be in charge of maintenance in the right-of-way areas on I-69 in Fishers, after an agreement was approved between the city and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
