Kimley-Horn wins $1.7-million design contract for widening of Honore Avenue from Fruitville to 17th Street

Richardson Road roundabout to be reconstructed to 2-lane facility and new roundabout planned at 17th Street and Honore

A graphic shows the project area. Image courtesy Sarasota County

With their unanimous approval of their Oct. 12 Consent Agenda of routine business matters, the Sarasota County Commission formally awarded a $1,699,984.74 contract to the Kimley-Horn consulting firm in Sarasota for the design of a widened Honore Avenue from Fruitville Road to 17th Street.

A staff memo provided in the agenda packet explained that the existing two-lane section of Honore Avenue between those intersections “doesn’t meet current County standards. The reconstruction and widening of [Honore] into a 4-lane roadway will improve the flow of traffic in and around the Sarasota Crossings shopping center and will provide safe and convenient access along this section of Honore Avenue,” the memo added.

This is an aerial view of the Sarasota Crossings Center, as shown on its Facebook page. Image courtesy of Commodore Realty via Facebook

The segment pinpointed for the improvements is about 1.1 miles in length, another document in the agenda packet pointed out.

The project will include bicycle lanes, sidewalks on both sides of Honore, roadway lighting and landscaping, the staff memo continued. Further, the one-lane roundabout at the intersection of Honore Avenue and Richardson Road will be widened to a two-lane roundabout, the memo said, and the signalized intersection at Honore Avenue and 17th Street “will be converted to a 2-lane roundabout.”

Kimley-Horn also will handle the permitting for the project, the memo noted.

North District Mobility Fees will cover the cost of the contract, the memo added. Completion of the design is “anticipated in July 2023,” the memo said.

A schedule included in the agenda packet calls for start of construction 806 days after the execution of the contract with Kimley-Horn and the firm’s receipt of a county-issued purchase order. By calculation of The Sarasota News Leader, that would mean the project should be completed by early 2024, barring any unexpected developments or significant weather delays.

“Residents and stakeholders within the immediate project area will be notified via post card during the initial survey and design phase,” the memo added. They will be advised of the project description, the status of the work and the schedule, the memo noted.

Moreover, the memo said, two public meetings will be scheduled so residents can view the project plans, speak with county staff about the undertaking and provide comments. Those will take place when the design is 30% complete and when it has reached the 90% mark, the contract says.

Altogether, the agreement points out, five community meetings are planned through the duration of the undertaking, so residents of the adjacent neighborhoods can be kept apprised of the progress and ask questions, the contract indicates.

This is the anticipated project timeline, as shown in the agreement with Kimley-Horn. ‘P.O.’ stands for issuance of the county purchase order. Image courtesy Sarasota County

On Feb. 12, 2020, the staff memo explained, the county advertised for professional services for the initiative. Yet, only two firms submitted proposals, the memo said.

The other respondent was Stanley Consultants of Sarasota, a Procurement Department document showed.

This is a breakdown of the expenses Kimley-Horn listed in arriving at the amount the county will pay. Image courtesy Sarasota County

A three-person county committee recommended the award to Kimley-Horn, the document said. The members based their decision on “demonstrated ability of the proposed personnel, past performance and experience of the firm, project approach, local preference, and certified minority business enterprise status,” the staff memo explained.