Gateway signs could soon be installed near four entrance points into Tacoma’s city limits.
Last year, Tacoma City Manager T.C. Broadnax directed City staff to identify locations throughout Tacoma for future beautification and capital improvements as part of the Beautification of City Entranceways and Improved Signage Project, according to a Nov. 24 staff memo. City staff focused on arterials that crossed Tacoma city boundaries, resulting in nine potential locations being identified for the installation of entranceway gateway signs. That list was later narrowed down to four locations: South 19th Street and South Jackson Avenue; South Center Street and South Mullen Street; Northshore Parkway and 45th Avenue; and South 72nd Street and East F Street.
The City issued a call for bids in October for a $250,000 to $261,000 project to install gateway signs at the four locations, according to a legal notice published in the Tacoma Daily Index (see “Welcome To Tacoma: Gateway signs proposed near city entrance points,” Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 16, 2015), and five contractors responded to the call for bids (see “5 contractors bid on Tacoma gateway signs project,” Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 10, 2015): Northeast Electric LLC (Woodland, Wash.) — $253,156; American Builders Company (Renton, Wash.) — $252,320; Transportation Systems Inc. (Sumner, Wash.) — $238,530; Nordic Construction Inc. (Fife, Wash.) — $337,484.26; and Global Contractors LLC (Tacoma, Wash.) — $245,480.
Tacoma City Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution awarding a $267,153.60 contract to Transportation Systems, Inc. for the construction of the signs during a public meeting at 5 p.m. on Tues., Dec. 15, at Tacoma City Hall. Copies of the agenda, resolution, and staff memo are available online here and here and here, respectively.
Last year, the City awarded a contract to Nordic Construction to install a gateway entrance sign near the intersection of South 56th Street and South Orchard Street (see “Tacoma Bid Watch: Fire simulation training, ADA street improvements, and gateway signage,” Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 6, 2015). Similar signage was installed along Sprague Avenue in 2013 (see “First phase complete on Sprague Avenue enhancement project,” Tacoma Daily Index, March 5, 2013).
UPDATE | WEDS., DEC. 16 @ 9 A.M. — Tacoma City Council approved a resolution on Tues., Dec. 15, awarding a contract to Transportation Systems, Inc. to install gateway signs near four entrance points into Tacoma’s city limits.
