Sandy Springs council members celebrated the acquisition of right-of-way along Roswell Road, necessary for the corridor’s ongoing streetscape project and 850 feet of new sidewalk, during its Aug. 4 meeting.
City staff and the owner of the ReNew Chastain apartments in south Sandy Springs agreed to a price of $465,000 for construction easements and ROW, 12% above the city’s appraised value. Sandy Springs officials called the sidewalk extension and transit access project important.
Public Works Director Marty Martin said the streetscape project will “significantly improve a very deficient sidewalk system” in that section of Roswell Road, which many pedestrians use. A car flew off the road nearby and split a utility pole in half less than a year ago.
Roswell Road
The Roswell Road Streetscapes Improvement Project is divided into three phases, including sections extending north from the Atlanta-Sandy Springs border near Chastain Market to I-285. View the city’s interactive capital project dashboard here.
Council Member Mary Ford, who represents residents on the east side of Roswell Road south of I-285, said successful negotiations with a large property owner are crucial to creating a continuous path.
Construction on the southernmost section, on both sides of Roswell Road (SR 9) from Windsor Parkway to Long Island Road, is expected to begin this fall.
Wide sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists could begin to take shape on the east side of the corridor up to I-285 by early next year, but staff says more acquisitions are needed.
The city is funding sidepaths on the west side of Roswell Road using federal funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
MARTA’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant is funding 80% of the city project’s cost on the east side of the corridor north of Long Island Drive.
The city council’s consent agenda, approved unanimously without discussion to kick off regular meetings, also included ROW acquisition at 5641 Roswell Road, across the street from The Prado.
Council Member Andrew Chinsky, representing the west side of the state route, said he’d like a public update to help him answer residents’questions about the highly anticipated project.
Update on new fire stations
Next year, Sandy Springs will knock down a nearly 60-year-old fire station and begin construction of a state-of-the-art fire department complex south of I-285 along Roswell Road. The city’s fire station overhaul includes even more work around the city, with a $50 million bond backing the quick build-out.
A guaranteed maximum price (GMP), or a contractor’s upper spending limit, is due Nov. 17, with construction on Sandy Springs Fire Station 1 and 4 set to begin in January. The city has a design services contract with Hussey Gray Bell and Reeves & Young as its construction manager at risk.
A temporary Fire Station 1 at 8615 Roswell Road is set to be completed by Dec. 1, allowing a relocation before construction begins at 1425 Spalding Drive in early 2027.
The project management team’s cost estimate for Fire Stations 1 and 4 is $38.2 million, up from $37.6 million in May. There are about $32 million in direct construction costs, including the logistics building and site work. The budget for Fire Station 4 is $21.7 million, and Fire Station 1 is projected to cost $16.4 million.
Because $38.47 million is available in the fire station overhaul budget, the city needs another $2.3 million to fund renovations at Fire Station 3. If funding is available by November, consultants will begin renovation design.
Driving down price
Consultants reported $2.6 million in accepted cost deductions for Fire Stations 1 and 4, with another $1.5 million in pending requests. Deductions include adjustments to ceiling tiles, the removal of a fueling station, and a reduced generator size.
Dave Wells, the city’s director of facilities, capital construction, and building operations, said he and the city manager are working on a way to get the fueling station built.
Council Member John Paulson said he wanted the fueling station to be added back at the Fire Station 4 site because it gives city vehicles and public safety personnel access in south Sandy Springs.
“I’d love for you guys to find another couple million dollars here, so that we don’t have to go hunting for a million dollars somewhere else,” Paulson said. “Stay after it.”
Mayor Rusty Paul said it’s important to find funding for renovations of Fire Station 3 along Raider Drive, across from Riverwood International Charter School.
