Barrington to save $100,000 on water main
Barrington expects to save about $100,000 from what was budgeted on the imminent replacement of its 114-year-old water main underneath Lake-Cook Road.
Village trustees expect to award contracts totaling $2.56 million on July 16 to Bolder Contractors, Inc. of Deerfield for both the 2012 and 2013 phases of the project.
Village Manager Jeff Lawler said Bolder Contractors was the lowest bidder among six companies for both phases of the project, which were bid separately.
Not only is the replacement of the village’s 19th century water main an important improvement in its own right, but the first phase of the project must be done before construction can begin on the highly anticipated redevelopment of the southwest corner of Route 59 and Lake-Cook Road downtown, Lawler said.
If the water main contract is approved July 16, it’s hoped that work between the Union Pacific railroad tracks west to Applebee Street will begin within weeks and be completed around late October.
Phase two of the project — from the railroad tracks east to Spring Street — is hoped to begin as soon as the weather allows early next year and last about two months.
More businesses will be affected by phase two and encouraged the village to authorize nighttime work to make its overall time frame shorter.
In terms of distance, about 75 percent of the project is in this year’s phase, village officials said. But in terms of the work required, both phases are nearly equal.
The 8-inch-wide water main that was built in 1898 will not be removed but filled with fast-drying concrete to keep it from collapsing. The new water main will be 12 inches in diameter.
As long as phase one is done, the commercial redevelopment at Route 59 and Lake-Cook Road can begin as soon as the market dictates, Lawler said. The earliest likelihood of any groundbreaking is next spring, however.
Village officials have already approved the concept plan presented by Arthur Hill and Co. and Envision Realty Advisors of Evanston.
Two new buildings of two to three stories would face Route 59 and Lake-Cook Road respectively, with a plaza between them right at the corner. The two buildings would be connected on their upper stories.
The existing building housing M.J. Miller and Co. jewelers would remain just west on Lake-Cook Road, but to the west of it would be a third new building, smaller than the other two.
The developers will seek final approval once they have a firm commitment from a high percentage of tenants, Lawler said. All the confirmed tenants may not necessarily be named until the new stores are close to opening, however.
Late last year, the village demolished two vacant buildings that previously occupied the 2.7-acre site — a former Chase Bank and Chuck Hines.