Work on May's Island underground ramp to start after July 4

The city's flood-damaged underground parking ramp on May's Island is coming back to life.

This week, the City Council approved a contract with Miron Construction Co. for $724,200 to fix damage inside the ramp, which was under water in the 2008 flood for about 10 days.

The repairs, which will be paid with Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster funds, include only minor concrete structural repair, reports Mike Jager, the city's Veterans Memorial manager. Jager said the interior walls of the ramp will be cleaned and painted along with repairs made to the electrical and sprinkler systems, exhaust fans and fire pumps. Conduit also will be run for fiber-optic lines and new parking meters installed.

The ramp will have 120 parking spaces once the work is completed, he said.

Next month, the City Council will approve a second construction contract for the underground ramp, this one for replacement of the roof membrane over the ramp. The work is expected to cost about $300,000 and will be paid for with city funds.

Jager said the middle section of the May's Island lawn, with dirt about 18 inches deep, will be will stripped away for the roof work.

The plan calls for work on the ramp to begin at the conclusion of Freedom Festival on July 4. The work should be complete in six months, Jager said.