The State Street Redesign Project received final approval from the city’s Board of Estimates Monday and will now move on to the City Council — the last step in the project’s approval process.
The board approved recommendations about the project after a series of meetings that debated the financial and design elements of the plan.
“I think it’s fair to go ahead with it,” Ald. Warren Onken, District 3, said.
Ryan Mulcahy, assistant to Mayor Sue Bauman, said the decisions made by the board will not necessarily be reflected in the final product, and that changes could be made during the next steps of the project’s approval.
“It was a complicated process,” Mulcahy said. “There was a lot of input that was needed in order for it to be developed.”
Mulcahy said the Board of Estimates approval means the design plan could appear on the April 9 City Council agenda.
Originally scheduled for Council consideration in March, committee action on the redesign project delayed the process several times. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he hopes the process continues.
“Let the project move forward, and get going on it as soon as possible so it can be on schedule,” Verveer said.
In other business at the meeting, the board discussed the future of State Street Mall and Capitol Concourse maintenance fees. The Board had previously arranged a subcommittee to discuss the details of the fees and suggested transferring maintenance responsibilities to business owners as a way for the city to save money.
The board decided to send out a survey to 300 business owners who would be affected by such an action for their input regarding the fees.
Members of the board said they hope to hear feedback from the surveys so they can get more information about the business owners and those affected.
Surveys and redesign project details will be discussed at a meeting of the Board of Estimates and the subcommittee at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Mayor’s room in the City-County Building.