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Last updated on Tuesday, June 24, 2014
(BEDFORD) - The City of Bedford and two property owners cannot agree on a price for land to make way for the development of Plaza Drive South.
The project will extend the existing Plaza Drive south from 16th Street, past the entrances to McDonald's restaurant and Lowe's Home Improvement store. From where the road ends now, a new roadway will extend farther south then turn west to link with State Road 37.
The parcels the city needs for the project include a slice of land at the Wash World car wash, owned by Jay Strauss. The other is further south and is owned by Robert Ryan II and Anthony Galloway.
Because the city and the owners can't reach a deal, the Board of Works voted to proceed with condemnation of the parcels. Condemnation is a process by which the city can acquire the land. Three appraisals will be done for the properties, with the price being set by the court.
Proceeding with condemnation now will allow the city to remain on the timeline for state funding. As things stand now, bids could be let in 2015, with work to start in 2016.
The total projected construction cost, from preliminary engineering fees to final inspection, is $5.5 million. Of that total, the city's share will be roughly $1.4 million.
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