Great Rivers Greenway approved $23 million in construction contracts for seven local firms on the CityArchRiver 2015 project last week. The contracts are part of the Central Riverfront portion of the Gateway Arch project, which will improve access and prevent flooding on the riverfront.
For the Central Riverfront contracts, 31.8 percent of the work went to minority business enterprises (MBE) and 18.7 percent went to women business enterprises (WBE), for a total of 50.5 percent disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) participation, which exceeds the DBE goals established for the project.
“We are thrilled these qualified firms were interested in helping us and CityArchRiver 2015 fulfill our mission, and we look forward to working with them,” said Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway.
The Central Riverfront project – the second component of the CityArchRiver 2015 initiative to break ground – will improve the safety and accessibility of the Mississippi Riverfront and Gateway Arch grounds. Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard will be transformed into an enhanced 1.5-mile-long corridor with more plantings, lighting and a separated bike lane and pedestrian walkway that will connect into Great Rivers Greenway’s system of trails, parks and greenways. The project also includes elevating Leonor K. Sullivan further above the Mississippi River floodplain to help reduce flooding.
The work on the $33 million project was split up into 10 project packages to encourage local companies to bid and to help keep the work in the region, said Great Rivers Greenway leaders. More than $23 million of the contracts were awarded to St. Louis companies.
Castle Contracting, located in downtown St. Louis, was chosen to oversee demolition and earthwork, while X-L Contracting in Hazelwood will be responsible for asphalt paving, installing pavers and providing temporary flood protection. Wentzville-based LanDesign will be in charge of the landscaping around Leonor K. Sullivan, Goodwin Bros of Crystal City will oversee work on the concrete, and Fenton-based Gerstner Electric will be responsible for the electrical work on the project. Arnold-based St. Louis Bridge Construction Company will install the metals and rails, Festus-based D&S Fence will be in charge of signage, and Pangea, which is located in South St. Louis city, will be responsible for sewers and plumbing work.
The MBE firms selected for the project include X-L Contracting, Pangea Group, Centrex Electrical (subcontractor of Gerstner Electric), Riley Ready Mix (subcontractor of Gerstner Electric), and MAR II (subcontractor of LanDesign).
BSI Constructors, the project manager, worked with Great Rivers Greenway, the Federal Highway Administration and MoDOT to review the bids and select the firms. Recently, project leaders held a DBE networking event to provide firms a chance to network for collaborative bids on the project.
The Central Riverfront project will be split up into two phases to maintain access to the existing riverfront tourist amenities. Phase I will include work from Choteau Avenue to the Grand Staircase and will be completed in fall of 2014. In Phase II, contractors will add accessible river walk pathways from the Arch to the riverfront and will complete the work from the Grand Staircase to Biddle Street. The Central Riverfront project will be completed in time for the Gateway Arch’s 50th anniversary celebration in fall 2015.
“We’re proud to be a part of this transformational project, and we are grateful to our partners for their help,” said Trautman. “This project will improve the quality of life for the entire region by promoting tourism, providing real transportation alternatives along the riverfront and connecting communities.”