City officials are seeking bids from contractors to construct grant-funded improvements to downtown Gilroy’s alleyways.
The City of Gilroy received a $3.9 million grant from the California Department of Transportation’s Clean California Local Grant Program in March 2022.
The funds will be used to improve the Gourmet and Railroad alleyways between Fourth and Seventh streets by adding lighting, benches, garbage enclosures, bicycle and pedestrian markings, signage and more.
The grant mandates that construction is completed by June 2024, or the city loses the funding.
Once the project is complete, the state will reimburse the city.
Bids opened on Oct. 6, with an Oct. 25 deadline for interested contractors to submit their bids.
City Administrator Jimmy Forbis said construction is expected to begin in early December, and take about three months to complete. However, with wet weather likely during those winter months, the construction schedule includes a 55-day buffer before the June deadline, according to Forbis.
In May, the Gilroy City Council received an update on the design of the project. Hal Williams of CSG Consultants, who was commissioned by the city for design work, said a November 2022 public meeting to gather feedback on the project showed strong interest in incorporating art into the alleyways, increased lighting and movable furnishings to allow for flexible use of the space.
Bidding information and plans can be found at tinyurl.com/2v2ca6ke.
In other downtown developments, the city’s planning staff in September approved a proposal to construct a temporary parking lot at the corner of Monterey and Fourth streets.
The current dirt lot at 7601 Monterey St. is used as a makeshift parking area for surrounding businesses and the adjacent preschool. The half-acre lot has remained vacant since the former Washington Mutual building was demolished in the mid-2010s after sitting half-gutted since 2007.
The proposal by property owner David Leal is for 56 parking spaces. It will be used as a parking lot for five years, according to the plans, until it is redeveloped.
