NORTHAMPTON — The city of Northampton is looking to redirect a little over $823,600 in city funds from the Hotel Bridge improvement project for sidewalk repair projects across the city in the near future.
If the City Council passes this reprogramming of funds, the city will have close to $1.1 million dedicated to sidewalk projects over the next fiscal year, since they already have $250,000 from the Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal year 2025.
During the regular council meeting on Oct. 1, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra told the council that the funds need to be reprogrammed because the Hotel Bridge improvement project has been placed on pause due to expensive bids.
“Unfortunately, like many projects, the bids for [the Hotel Bridge] project have come in just astronomically higher than what had been appropriated,” Sciarra said. “So, it’s just not a feasible project at this time.”
Because of this, the city is proposing that the little over $823,600 is instead used for “higher priority” sidewalk repairs and upgrades based on the city’s inventory study, injury reports and in consultation with the city’s Disability Commission.
The mayor also added that the money will be used for some sidewalk work in Leeds on Florence Street.
No specific sidewalks were mentioned during the meeting, but DPW Director Donna LaScaleia said her department will look at the many plans the city has, including the Complete Streets Prioritization Plan, to determine which sidewalks to prioritize.
“I’ve got the sidewalk inventory, I’ve got the Complete Streets Ordinance and then I have our prioritization plan, and they don’t necessarily align,” LaScaleia said. “So, we have to make the best decisions we can possibly make in looking at everything we’re trying to do and then route the limited resources we have.”
According to LaScaleia, part of the little over $823,600 comes from the bond process for the Hotel Bridge project and then the rest came from the city’s free cash stabilization for the bridge project.
LaScaleia said the DPW bid the Hotel Bridge project three times. The goal of the project, which was estimated at $500,000 by engineer firm Greenman-Pedersen, was to make improvements on the iconic Hotel Bridge so it can accommodate bike and pedestrian traffic.
“I think for half a million dollars, everyone felt like this was a project that was going to feel good,” LaScaleia said. “The appropriations that we had in place were going to pay for the construction, they were going to pay for contingency, and then they were going to pay for construction oversight.”
When the city tried bidding the project for the first time in 2021, one bid came back for $1.95 million. LaScaleia said there was a consensus from those who did not bid that the project came with a lot of risk, which is why they were not interested in pursuing it.
In an attempt to make prospective bidders comfortable, the city spent two more years completing more engineering and then bid the project again in May 2023. The city again received one bid, this time for $1.98 million, another figure that was too expensive for the city.
The city attempted to bid the project one more time in July, but the lowest bid was $1.6 million.
“We’re moving in a better direction, but by the time you figure in a contingency and construction administration, the project is just not affordable,” LaScaleia said, reflecting on that third attempt to bid.
With the Hotel Bridge placed on the backburner now, the council expressed ambivalent feelings. Many argued that they are in support of rehabilitating sidewalk infrastructure, but some were heartbroken that the bridge project could not move forward.
The Hotel Bridge, which has an historic 1880 iron Pratt truss that spans the Mill River in Leeds, is the oldest standing bridge in Northampton and a visual reminder of Leeds and Florence’s industrial heyday.
It also links Northampton’s non-vehicular network and is a connector to conservation lands Robert’s Hill and Leeds Reservoir.
This is not the first time an effort was made to reopen the bridge for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
The Leeds Civic Association made a push over a decade ago to support the bridge’s restoration and reopening.
“This is a very emotional project for Leeds,” said Ward 7 Rachel Maiore, during the Oct. 1 council meeting. “It’s like a grieving process.”
Maiore said she has met with the Leeds Civic Association to talk with them about this current process of reprogramming funds. She added that there needs to be as much public engagement as possible before the council officially votes.
Maiore represents the ward where the association resides.
At-Large City Councilor Marissa Elkins said it is “a little heartbreaking” to let the bridge project go for the time being but emphasized the importance of using money for the repair of sidewalks. She also said it is important for the public to learn more about this reprograming and for them to express their thoughts.
“I’m supportive of having [Maiore’s] constituents in particular having some opportunity to ask more questions and come to terms with it,” Elkins said.
The order was eventually sent to the council’s finance committee for further deliberation and public engagement before being voted on. As of press time, a committee meeting was not scheduled yet.
LaScaleia said she hopes to have this money appropriated this month so the city can bid for the sidewalk repairs by January.
