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What is commonly called the 14th Street hill and Central Avenue downtown may be the sites of future upgrades.
Both were discussed Monday as the City Council reviewed lists of projects presented by the city engineering staff. Neither project has been approved by the council. Both would be in the future, starting next year at the earliest and perhaps starting as late as 2031.
Communication with the Canadian National Railway may help the city to finalize the schedule, according to Mayor Dave Flattery.
That's because the railroad has a bridge that carries its tracks over 14th Street near the Pleasant Valley neighborhood. Finding out if and when the railroad plans to do any work on that bridge may well determine when the city works on 14th Street.
This year, the city had a contractor put a thin coat of asphalt on 14th Street from Eighth Avenue South to a point just north of the railroad bridge to ensure that the street remains drivable.
As proposed, the project would include redoing Eighth Avenue South between 114th and 15th streets and the 14th streets south to Pleasant Valley.
That project has an estimated cost of $3.4 million.
Flattery proposed redoing Eighth Avenue South west of 14th Street. He said new homes have been built along that stretch and the city ought to "reward" those property owners with an improved street.
The Central Avenue project would address that street between the City Square and 11th Street. Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, 10th and 11th street would also be updated between First Avenue North and First Avenue South.
According to information presented to the council Monday, that Central Avenue work would take three to five years and cost about $4 million to $5.9 million each year.
The council made no final decision on any of the projects. It did instruct City Manager David Fierke to contact the Canadian National Railway about its plans for the bridge over South 14th Street.
In a separate infrastructure matter, bids will be received Oct. 20 from companies interested in building a new bridge on Highland Park Avenue over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.