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The Goldsboro City Council was divided in its 5-2 vote Monday to hire Daniels and Daniels Construction Co. to build a 2,500-square-foot addition to the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base fitness center.
The $641,542 contract was part of the council's consent agenda, which included several items and was approved by a single vote.
Mayor Pro Tem Bevan Foster and Councilman Antonio Williams voted against the agenda, with Foster saying his vote was due to the fitness center contract.
He wanted to vote on the contract separately, instead of with seven other council business items. Foster also wanted to have more time to review details within the contract, he said.
Foster said he wasn't as concerned about the cost as he was about the details of the contract.
Also after the meeting, Councilman Bill Broadaway said the project has been in the works for several years.
Voting for the contract were Broadaway, Mayor Chuck Allen and Councilmen Mark Stevens, David Ham and Gene Aycock.
The city contract involves the construction of a 2,500-square-foot addition to the base fitness center, as part of the city's lease agreement with the U.S. Air Force that allows the city's addition of a multisport complex on 62 acres alongside the military installation.
The 2016 lease also includes a city commitment to have the fitness center open by March 2018. The city plans to use hotel occupancy tax revenues to pay for the work, and has already set aside $600,000 for the project.
Because the contract is $41,452 more than originally planned, base officials have agreed to reimburse the city the amount to make up the difference.
The city council was also divided in its decision to provide $26,110 in economic development incentives to Stormberg Foods, a South African-based company, which plans to add 60 jobs and invest $2.48 million in facility upgrades to the former Sunburst Foods, on Sunburst Drive. The company produces meat protein snacks.
The council voted 5-2 in favor of the economic development grant, which is tied to job creation and local investments. Foster and Williams voted against the grant. Allen, Broadaway, Stevens, Ham and Aycock voted in favor of the grant.
The company will receive a $5,222 grant per year for five years and is expected to increase the property tax value of the facility, leading to $8,000 in additional tax revenue.
The council's vote in favor of its consent agenda included approvals for:
* A $27,989 contract with Barnhill Contracting Co. to repave the Union Station parking lot.
* An agreement with the state Department of Transportation to add a 10-foot-wide greenway path from Royall Avenue to Quail Park, with $187,500 in federal funding.
The widening of U.S. 13 North from Saulston Road to Rodell Barrow Road in Greene County is one of four new transportation projects in Division 4 included in the updated version of the state's draft 10-year transportation plan.
It is the only one in Wayne County.
Most of the project is inside Wayne County.
The announcement did not include a timetable or cost estimate. Nor did it specify if the widening meant four lanes with a median.
The draft calls for right of way to start in fiscal year 2024 with construction to start in 2026.
The timetables for two other Wayne County projects have been accelerated -- upgrading U.S. 70 to freeway standards from 2026 to 2023 and construction of a 10-foot wide greenway from the U.S. 70 Bypass to Royall Avenue have been moved to 2017.
The plan calls for upgrading U.S. 70 to freeway standards from the west end of the U.S. 70 Bypass to the Wayne-Johnston county line by eliminating at-grade intersections and driveway connections, which will improve traffic flow and safety.
Division Four includes Wayne, Edgecombe, Halifax, Johnston, Nash and Wilson counties.
"Adding projects and moving up the timetable for others is great news for the residents in this area, as it means improved safety and mobility while going to work, school and businesses," said Division 4 Transportation Board member Gus Tulloss of Rocky Mount. "I want to thank Division Engineer Tim Little and his staff for their work in helping us move ahead with these important improvements."
The plan, called the Draft 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), includes a total of 144 new projects and hundreds of projects with accelerated construction schedules, DOT officials said during the Friday announcement.
In addition to my previous post, NCDOT has recently awarded a contract for converting two intersections on US-117 into interchanges south of Goldsboro. This is part of the long-term goal of upgrading US-117 to interstate standards and extending I-795 from Goldsboro to I-40 just west of Faison. While these projects are not in city limits, it will improve traffic flow between Goldsboro and I-40 and once I-795 connects to I-40, it will cement Goldsboro's status as a crossroads between two major interstates, which will be attractive to businesses.
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Work could begin as soon as the end of July on a $21.5 million contract to construct interchanges on U.S. 117 South at O'Berry Road, Dudley, and at Country Club Road, Mount Olive.
"We bid them together as a single project," said Jerry Page, N.C. Department of Transportation Division 4 project engineer.
Eight companies bid on the project.
S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson was low bidder at $21,573,864.42 -- some 8 percent below the estimated cost of $23,445,976.53.
The award letter to Wooten was given this past Tuesday.
Oct. 1, 2019, is the scheduled completion date with the exception of planting, reforestation, or the permanent establishment of vegetation, he said.
It would be open to traffic at that time, Page said.
The final completion date is March 29, 2020.
Any utility work should be completed well before to July 31 so as not to delay the project, he said.
Work is nearly complete on a water line relocation at Country Club Road. The line had to be relocated south so that it not be under the footing for the overpass.
Because of U.S. 117's proximity to U.S. 117 Alternate, the overpass will take U.S. 117 over Country Club Road.
Two bridges will be built, one for each direction on 117.
The project at O'Berry Road will take that road over U.S. 117.
The interchange at O'Berry Road and U.S. 117 South will eliminate the only traffic light south of U.S. 117 at U.S. 13 all the way to Interstate 40 in Sampson County.
While it has not been funded or received final approval, upgrading U.S. 117 from north of Country Club Road to south of Genoa Road near the Wayne County Fairgrounds -- the future Interstate 795 South corridor -- is included in the state's next draft 10-year transportation plan.
Also, U.S. 117 from Lee's Country Club Road to Old Smith Chapel Road would be upgraded to freeway standards under the plan.
That project would include constructing a new connector road along U.S 117 and converting the intersections to interchanges.
The final decision on which Air Force base the KC-46A tanker aircraft will be located will be made this summer. Seymour Johnson remains the preferred alternative.
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base would receive $26.4 million under the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, helping to clear the way for a squadron of the Air Force's new KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft to be based there.
The funding includes $20 million for a tanker truck delivery system (Defense Logistics Agency) and $6.4 million for KC-46A addition and/for alterations to a building.
According to the final environmental impact study for the project, bringing the aircraft to the base would require the demolition of 77,706 square feet, renovation of another 142,052 square feet and new construction of 182,646 square feet.
The National Defense Authorization Act also would make improvements to Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, provide a 2.1 percent across-the-board pay raise for service members and implement reforms that would make life easier for military families.
The Air Force has designated Seymour Johnson AFB as the preferred alternative for a reserve squadron of 12 new state-of-the-art KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft. Several other bases also are being considered.
The final decision on where the planes will go is expected this summer.
Basing the aircraft at Seymour Johnson AFB also would require a net increase of 53 full-time, on-base personnel. Additional dependents would be anticipated to accompany full-time personnel associated with the proposed mission.
Also, the total annual tanker operations at the base would increase from 2,568 per year to 4,314, resulting in an approximate 68 percent increase in annual tanker operations.
The 4th Fighter Wing operations would continue unchanged, and existing KC-135 training and refueling operations would continue through the construction phase.
NCDOT will be hosting a public meeting regarding the realignment of the Berkeley Boulevard/Central Heights Road intersection. I'll be glad when that project is done. Long overdue.
The proposed realignment of Central Heights Road at Berkeley Boulevard (U.S. 13) will be the subject of a Monday, July 24, meeting.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold the public meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Goldsboro Event Center, 1501 S. Slocumb St.
Interested residents can stop by anytime during the meeting to speak with DOT representatives about the proposed project.
No formal presentation will be made.
Comments can also be submitted by phone, email or mail through Monday, Aug. 14.
The primary purpose of this project is to improve traffic flow and connectivity on and around this section of Berkeley Boulevard (U.S. 13), DOT officials said.
Right of way is scheduled to start in 2019 at an estimated cost of $270,000 with construction to follow in 2021 at a cost of $1.125 million.
Project information and materials can be viewed as they become available online at www.ncdot.gov/ projects/publicmeetings.
For additional information, contact Matt Clarke, NCDOT Project Engineer, at 509 Ward Blvd., P.O. Box 3165, Wilson, N.C. 27895, or 252-640-6419, or wmclarke@ ncdot.gov.
A new auto parts dealer opens in Goldsboro. The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Walker Automotive Supply was held Wednesday morning. Walker Auto and Truck now has 36 NAPA locations in Central and Eastern Carolina, making the company the largest NAPA distributor on the East Coast. CEO Dan Walker says the new location holds a special meaning to the family since their grandmother was raised in Goldsboro. Walker Automotive Supply is located at 1212 N. William Street in Goldsboro. The store features access to over 146,000 part numbers covering import and domestic vehicles, medium and heavy duty truck parts, and farm and ag applications.
Goldsboro receives its National Main Street accreditation. This is an annual occurrence, according to Julie Metz, the Downtown Development Director for the City of Goldsboro. Metz says there are certain standards that Goldsboro has to meet to achieve the National Main Street Accreditation, including reporting annual statistics, and demonstrating a commitment to downtown revitalization and historic preservation efforts. Metz says the National Main Street designation is worthwhile since it can help draw people and businesses to Downtown Goldsboro. 39-communities in North Carolina, including Goldsboro, received the accreditation from the National Main Street Center this year.
It may not be "Survivor" or "The Amazing Race," but a new escape room in Goldsboro will offer plenty of challenges when it opens on July 28.
Downtown Escapes, at 208 E. Walnut St., will have one themed room to start -- The Heist -- with plans to open a second -- Decipher -- in August or September, said Jared Grantham, co-owner.
Bookings can be made on the company website, at Downtown Escape Rooms | Goldsboro NC #1 Escape Room, where dates and times can be reserved. The business will operate Thursday and Friday, starting at 5:30 p.m., Saturday starting at noon, and Sunday at 2 p.m. Daytime bookings, at other times, are available for corporations and private parties.
Escape rooms are set up as a game where a group of friends, co-workers and even strangers are locked in a room where they search through clues to find a way out within a determined amount of time. Players work together as a team, use deductive reasoning and problem-solving skills to solve a series of puzzles and codes to break out of the room and escape before time runs out. Downtown Escapes last for 60 minutes.
The Heist escape room is already set up and designed as an art gallery, with security surrounding different pieces, and participants challenged to find a valuable item. A few clues will be given at the start, and a game master, who will watch the room, may offer other clues to help the team during their quest.
A clock is set up on the wall so players can see time ticking as they work through the room. The team will need to disable the security during their search, all with the goal of escaping the room in under an hour.
The minimum number of people in a room is two, which will make the escape more difficult, and the maximum number is eight. The rooms are designed to have a level of difficulty, making the escape a possibility but uncertain.
The Walnut Street building has enough room for the addition of four escape rooms, eventually, and the themes are planned to change in the future for people seeking a new experience.
Co-owners Jared and Amanda Grantham decided to open the business after visiting escape rooms several years ago in other cities.
The Granthams also focused their location on downtown Goldsboro, as part of the center city's revitalization.
"We thought what better place to be than in downtown where things are taking place," he said.
They also view being downtown as a more positive experience as merchants work together for the overall success of the area.
"When we decided to go for it and launch this business, we knew from the beginning we wanted to be a part of the downtown movement," said Amanda Grantham. "Historic downtown Goldsboro has a fantastic group of merchants, and we are thrilled to be a part."
Prior to opening, Downtown Escapes will have a scavenger hunt next week in the downtown area where people can search for $200, based on clues that will be released Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the Downtown Escapes Facebook.
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