Clear Lake council moving forward with making improvements to area that could be a new area for economic development (AUDIO)

CLEAR LAKE — The Clear Lake City Council earlier this week took action moving forward with making improvements to North 32nd Street next to the old Andrews Pre-stressed Concrete property just east of Interstate 35.

The council had approved a professional services agreement with Veenstra & Kimm for engineering services on reconstructing 900 feet of road back in December 2017, but the council on Monday approved engineering services for an additional 950 feet, making for a total of about 1850 feet of improvements north of State Highway 122.

Mayor Nelson Crabb says a quality road is needed to allow for possible economic development in that area. “This North 32nd Street, what we’re creating is a newer industrial park out there, especially the north end. It was that north end really that made a decision for doing the whole length of the property instead of just the first 800 feet. “

Crabb says potential developers for that property will want a paved road instead of gravel. “We’ve had some people who have come in and asked, and primarily their concern is warehousing, is there (space) down there for warehousing. If you have warehouses down there, you’ve got heavy vehicles driving on the road, they aren’t really looking at a gravel road to drive on.”

Crabb says they also want to make the necessary improvements to make the area attractive for prospective developers. “We’ll put utilities in. Water lines, we already have water stubbed out to that area. Water lines, storm (sewer) lines, sanitary. We’ll even do street lighting in there. If you take that and you are an investor and come in and look at that, they may think ‘whoa, there’s a road there that the city has put in’, and this makes it look a little more attractive to those you might want to invest in that area, be it the front part or be it the back part, where perhaps warehousing will become that.”

The estimated cost of the project is just over $1.7 million, with the council scheduled to consider awarding a contract at their March 4th meeting and construction starting in April. Crabb made his comments earlier today on the “Ask the Mayor” program on AM-1300 KGLO. Listen back to the program via the audio player below