photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., is pictured on Jan. 31, 2023.

The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday approved more than half a million dollars worth of sidewalk improvement projects at eight locations around the city.

Commissioners voted 4-0, with Commissioner Brad Finkledei absent, to award a $562,265 bid to Sands Construction LLC as part of the 2023 Pedestrian Improvements Project.

The project will construct new sidewalks on Wisconsin Street from Fifth Street to Fourth Street and at Harper Street from East 25th Terrace to East 23rd Street. Improvements to the sidewalks will also happen at Wisconsin Street from Fifth Street to Fourth Street.

The other six areas slated for sidewalk improvements as part of this bid include:

• West Ninth Street from Murrow Court to Madeline Lane

• Arkansas Street from Eighth Street to Seventh Street

• East 10th Street from Rhode Island Street to Connecticut Street

• West 11th Street from Tennessee Street to Kentucky Street

• West 12th Street from Tennessee Street to Kentucky Street

• East 19th Street from New Hampshire Street to Rhode Island Street

The city estimated the listed sidewalk projects would be completed by November.

The approval for the project comes just after the city approved a 20-year, $103 million funding plan in July to replace or repair pedestrian paths like sidewalks and curb ramps to ensure they are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. An estimated $5,173,750 per year would be set aside to replace or repair sidewalks across Lawrence.

In other business, commissioners:

• Adopted an ordinance that gives final approval for Google Fiber to extend its infrastructure into Lawrence to offer broadband in the city.

The City Commission first voted on the ordinance back in July. This was the second reading and gives final approval to the project.

As the Journal-World previously reported, Google Fiber would pay the city 2% of all revenue on services paid by the residents or businesses, according to the ordinance. In addition, Google would pay the City of Lawrence $4.20 per quarter per resident subscriber, with slightly higher rates for businesses that end up subscribing to Google Fiber. The money generated through this arrangement would go into the city’s general fund.

• Approved the demolition request for the former Allen Press properties on the northwest corner of 11th and New Hampshire streets.

The property at 1041 New Hampshire St., as the Journal-World reported, was recently purchased by Lawrence developer Tony Krsnich. Currently, he plans for the site to be used as temporary storage for construction materials for new lofts being built by his team at 1010 New Hampshire St., right across the street.

The Historic Resources Commission recommended the approval of the demolition request back in July after code officials in the city found the structure was “detrimental to the public health and welfare.” HRC commissioners did express concern about the lack of a future plan for the site, but members of the development team told the commissioners during a July 18 meeting they are weighing multiple different development options at the site.

• Approved a $325,255 purchase agreement between the City of Lawrence and ChargePoint Inc. to buy charging equipment for electric buses.

Back in 2022, the city received a federal grant worth $3,279,655 to transition four diesel buses in Lawrence Transit’s fleet and replace them with four zero-emission battery electric buses. The purchase of the charging infrastructure is a last step to allow the deployment of the electric buses.

The electrical infrastructure is expected to be delivered Oct. 1 so that it can be installed by the end of the year.