Temporary closure of part of Osprey Avenue to be just one facet of third phase of project, starting in June 2020
“Significant progress has been made on the Lift Station 87 project, and the project team has reached the point where it plans to host a community meeting to discuss the next phase,” Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin announced in his Nov. 22 newsletter.
That meeting has been set for Dec. 5 at Fire Station No. 2, which is located at 2070 Waldemere St.
In September, construction began on the new, two-story brick lift station building, which has been designed to withstand the forces of a Category 3 hurricane, Barwin pointed out. The goal of that facet of the design is for the new lift station to be able to maintain operations for nearby Sarasota Memorial Hospital “and other critical facilities,” Barwin added, in the event of a major storm. “As you pass the construction site in Luke Wood Park, you can see the structure starting to come out of the ground,” he noted.
Over the past year, crews worked 50 feet underground, building the concrete wetwell to get to this stage, Barwin continued. “This is indeed a milestone! Thank you to all who have worked behind the scenes to reach this phase,” he added.
While the lift station building is under construction, Phase 3 of the project will begin, Barwin wrote. This is another critical aspect of the initiative, he pointed out; it will require the temporary closure of Osprey Avenue from Bay Street to Bahia Vista Street from June 2020 to March 2021. “This is necessary while sewer mains are installed and utility connections made.”
During that period, he noted, residents along Alta Vista Street, Osprey Avenue, Pomelo Avenue and Pomelo Place “can expect active construction in the neighborhood, including heavy machinery, temporary street closures and restricted access. We understand this may be disruptive and inconvenient for those in the area,” Barwin added. “Our team wants to ensure residents are equipped with the information they need and are prepared for Phase 3, which is why a community meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m.”
“During the meeting,” he continued, “the engineer of record and project manager will provide an historical retrospective of the project, why it’s needed for the city and what to expect during Phase 3. We want to answer your questions and do what we can to refresh and inform the community before construction begins.”
Lift Station 87 will replace Lift Station 7, which has exceeded its useful life expectancy, city staff has explained. The new lift station will handle approximately one-third of the wastewater flowing to the city’s treatment plant, with a capacity of 9.5 million gallons per day, Barwin pointed out.
“When Lift Station 87 comes online, reliability and redundancy will be greatly improved, thereby providing enhanced protections for our precious environment,” he added.
Updates may be found at http://www.LiftStation87.com, or the public may call the project information line at 356-8071.