Finance Committee - 05/19/2021 Page 8
Mayor Donchess
You’ve heard the motion but this is again Ms. Marchant.
Director Marchant
That is correct, thank you. So this is the award to actually construct the Transit Center. We have retrofit so this
is the physical upgrades to the Transit Center itself but also to the physical infrastructure underground and of
the ground around that area. This project is, again, something that the City went after a nationally competitive
5339 grant that we were awarded. So that is paying for the vast majority of this with some matching funds
coming from the State of New Hampshire and then the rest from the City. And we are very excited to finally
move this project forward.
Mayor Donchess
Discussion or questions? Alderwoman Klee?
Alderman Klee
Thank you Mayor. Director Marchant, does this also take care of the re-directing of the parking lot that is
adjacent to it? Did | understand that correctly? So the redesign of that enter and exit is also part of this.
Director Marchant
That’s a great question. It is not part of this contract. That was not part of the grant. We have separately used
dollars and are almost done with a final design for bid which we don’t have funding to do, but a re-design of the
City Hall parking lot area. So we do have a design that was working on kind of parallel to this. As part of this
project, the entrance to the City Hall Parking Lot from the Transit Center side will be closed off and so the City
Hall Parking Lot does function it does meet the standards for being one way in and one way out from the other
side but it isn’t an ideal configuration. So we will have that package shortly that we can look at funding for
separately. But that isn’t part of the federal bid here.
Alderman Klee
Just one comment, Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Donchess
Yes.
Alderman Klee
Thank you. Director Marchant | was a little concerned about, | know it meets the standard but it is a tight fit
trying to get in and out especially someone with an SUV and we have the handicap spots right there too. So |
was just a little concerned if we are only having that one entrance to come in and out of. But we don’t foresee
any kind of issues? | know even with the entrance the way it is, it sometimes can be a little tight trying to get in
and out of there, especially those end parking spots near the transit center. But engineering or whoever has
taken a look at it and we are good to go with that?
Director Marchant
As | said, it is not ideal. It does meet the minimum standards. The really good thing is that it is so small and so
tight that people travel at slow rates of speed and it is not maybe ideal which is why we have a new design
coming that we hope to be able to fund. But it has not been found to be unsafe.
