August 12, 2009
Several projects make up Bell Street revitalization
By Jenn Rowell
Several projects along Bell Street are under way in an effort to revitalize the area.
Construction to widen the street has started and demolition of the remainder of Riverside Heights, the former public housing development near Maxwell Air Force Base, will begin in the next two or three weeks.
Bell Street will widen to two lanes in each direction between the CSX bridge to east of Washington Ferry Road and include a median with greenery, new sidewalks and lighting. The project includes about a mile of roadway.
The road will widen toward Maxwell, since property on the south side is privately owned. The base is finishing construction on a new fence and the currently standing concrete wall will come down as part of the project.
The project is scheduled to take 300 working days, according to Robert Smith, Montgomery's senior transportation planner.
The project was estimated to cost $9.1 million to $11.1 million, but all of the bids received in April were below that estimate.
Southeast Cherokee Construction Co. of Wetumpka was the lowest bid at $6,836,812 and was awarded the contract. The notice to proceed was issued at the end of June and the construction began July 15 with signs and construction barrels being placed along the roadway.
The project should be finished in the latter half of 2010, said Rebecca Leigh White, spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Transportation. ALDOT will handle the project, which is 80 percent federally funded with a 20 percent state match.
The old Riverside Heights community, once owned by the Montgomery Housing Authority, will be demolished this month to make way for future development along Bell Street.
The Riverside Heights property was purchased by the city of Montgomery several years ago and broken into parcels. One parcel went to the Air Force in a land swap and the city acquired a former military housing property known as Maxwell Heights, which was subsequently sold at auction in 2007.
The remaining parcels of the Riverside Heights property still are owned by the city, said Jeff Downes, deputy mayor. Once the housing units are demolished, the land will be available for development. One parcel has already been optioned to the Wright Brothers museum if organizers can raise the required funds. Another would remain for future development.
The city also is in a cooperative agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers so the city can ultimately take possession of what was once Powder Magazine Park, Downes said.
The park is a piece of land immediately adjacent to the river and north of the Riverside Heights property.
Future development has included discussion of an aquarium, possible access to the river and a continuation of the Riverwalk from its current end spot near the Montgomery Advertiser offices, Downes said.
The demolition process will include an effort to salvage the bricks from Riverside Heights.
The city originally tried to get someone to demolish the housing units for the value of the bricks, but the commodity price dropped and so did commercial interest, Downes said.
Instead, they'll use inmates from the city jail to try to salvage the bricks and city crews will do the demolition.
The project is waiting on equipment availability, especially an excavator, since it's in use for other city projects, Downes said.
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