Keene CIP estimates higher cost for downtown work; outlines other projects

Projects include the upcoming downtown infrastructure work to a Robin Hood Park revamp

Keene city councilors recently began their biennial review of the city’s Capital Improvement Program, a road map spanning several years that includes projects ranging from the upcoming downtown infrastructure work to a Robin Hood Park revamp.

The 240-page financial planning document, mapping out the city’s big money initiatives for fiscal years 2025-2031, shows an updated $16.89 million cost estimate for Keene’s upcoming downtown infrastructure overhaul. That is $9 million more than projected in 2021 and $2 million more than the $14 million estimate as of last spring.

City staff have explained that a rise in construction costs have led to the steep increase in the expected expense of the project.

Don Lussier, city engineer, said that’s still the case while explaining the most recent cost estimate.

“Mostly its been adjusted to reflect the most recent bid prices we’ve seen for our own projects … and using (NH DOT) data,” he said Friday. “The pricing we’re seeing for construction costs has gone up substantially in the past couple years.”

Expected to break ground next year, the much discussed and debated work to replace outdated underground utilities, some of them more than 120 years old and showing signs of wear, will be broken down into three phases, lasting through 2027. The project was initially expected to start in 2024.

Construction will begin at Central Square, then work its way south to focus on the stretch of Main Street from the square down to Gilbo Avenue and finish in the final phase between Gilbo Avenue and Water Street/Davis Street, according to the CIP.

Out of the estimated $16,890,535 price tag, the city says 72%, or about $12 million, will be devoted to the underground repairs and replacements, with the rest going toward above-ground improvements and infrastructure.

The CIP notes that the city already has $1,457,835 in its coffers for the project, and the work will be funded across fiscal years 2025-27, roughly $5 million per year.

On Thursday, city councilors unanimously authorized City Manager Elizabeth Dragon to pursue federal grant funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Lussier has previously said that if the city is successful, the federal grant Keene has its sights on could cover up to 80% of the project’s non-utility costs.

Other projects

Another project proposes constructing a unisex outdoor bathroom facility on Gilbo Avenue during the downtown infrastructure construction, expected to cost $432,000. According to the CIP, this public restroom could support downtown activities, residents and visitors to Main Street and users of Keene’s robust trail system.

Slated to begin as early as 2026 is a project to reconstruct Lower Winchester Street and improve the corridor connecting Keene to Swanzey. Keene is responsible for about $3.6 million out of the grand total of $12,812,579, and will split the cost 20-80 percent with the state department of transportation.

In December, the city council signed off on two new roundabouts for lower Winchester Street, which engineers said will improve traffic flow through that busy roadway.

In addition to upgrading city infrastructure, the Capital Improvement Program calls for the redevelopment of Robin Hood Park in East Keene, including refurbishing the pool.

Built in 1963, the Robin Hood pool had reached the end of its lifespan around 2018, when Parks, Recreation and Facilities Director Andy Bohannon said it was reassessed. The pool’s proximity to the park’s reservoir may be contributing to issues impacting the pool’s shell, according to Bohannon.

While previously concerned that the pool would need to be replaced, which could cost as much as $5 million, Bohannon said the city can install a PVC lining that could extend its lifetime by another 15 years, and preserve a much-loved neighborhood asset.

“We’ll be able to do that for about $1.7 million, and so that will still enable us to do the other things we need to do in the park,” he told members of the city council’s Finance, Organization and Personnel Committee at its Jan. 25 meeting. “Being able to refurbish it has been a big cost savings to us as opposed to losing it and building it brand new.”

The proposed Robin Hood Park revamp, expected to begin in 2027, includes plans for a splash pad, new restrooms, a play area and a multi-sport court that in the winter could be turned into an ice rink.

Other items in the CIP include a $50,000 bicycle master plan project, which Community Development Director Jesse Rounds said would look at improving bicycle connectivity throughout the city.

Rounds said that improving cyclist infrastructure in Keene will promote a healthy community and bolster a vibrant economy.

“We’re seeing more and more evidence that bicycle connectivity does support economic growth,” he said. “This is really part of emphasizing Keene as a place to live, work and play.”

The CIP process will continue in the coming weeks, with the next session before the FOP Committee at its Feb. 8 meeting at 5:30 p.m. A public hearing is scheduled for March 7 at 7 p.m. and the council, which can amend a project’s timeline or funding sources, is expected to adopt the CIP on March 21.

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