City Council, Administration Discuss Plaza Boulevard Extension

The city of Mentor has wanted to add another north-south corridor connecting Mentor Avenue and Tyler Boulevard for years.

That's why the city until it intersects with St. Clair Avenue last year. However, the actual extension will not be built this year, according to the city administration.

They had a work session to discuss the project with City Council Tuesday at .

Assistant City Manager Tony Zampedro said most of the engineering and other preliminary work is done on the project. However, the city wants to find some outside funding for the extension so it will not need to pay the entire $3.2 million that it's expected to cost.

"This is one of those (projects) where it's almost done," Zampedro told Council. "It's just a matter of finding the funding."

Initially, the city intended to include extension . However, Zampedro said they hoped some federal money might become available after the elections in November.

Consequently, the city could revisit the project while working on its 2013 budget, Zampedro said.

He added the city could afford to pay for the extension itself if needed.

"We do have the ability to pay for it ourselves," he said. "Obviously, we'd be taking on some additional debt to do that. So we'd prefer to wait a year or two to seek outside funding."

Council Members Carolyn Bucey -- who had asked the city for an update on the project -- and Robert Shiner expressed concerns about waiting too long to build the extension. They noted that construction materials could become more expensive in the future and the city can borrow money easily at the moment because of .

"Maybe not tonight, but we really need to think about when we want to move forward on this," Bucey said.

City Engineer Dave Swiger noted that the project was not stalled while they were waiting for money. The city would still use this year to purchase necessary right-of-ways and finish the engineering.

Law Director Richard Hennig said Council would also see a resolution soon to select a contractor that will demolish the one building in the extension's way. The city last year.

Zampedro told Council that the Plaza Boulevard extension could attract grant dollars because it is a "shovel-ready" project, meaning it could be started almost as soon as grant money becomes available.

"Do we have another shovel-ready project?" Council President Scott Marn asked.

"Not of this magnitude," Zampedro said.