Background/Discussion
West Broadway is major arterial street and critical to the City’s roadway network. It serves as a significant commercial corridor and commuter route and its reconstruction is an essential part of the economic redevelopment plan for the west end of Council Bluffs. There is also a strong community desire to enhance the aesthetics of the corridor and to create a connection between the River’s Edge development and downtown Council Bluffs.
Segment 3 of the reconstruction project will completely rebuild West Broadway from just east of 28th Street to 24th Street including the replacement of pavement, traffic signals, street lights, sidewalks, and storm sewers with drainage improvements as a major objective. The project also includes streetscape amenities such as decorative pedestrian lights, brick paver bands behind the curbs and at intersections, ornamental fencing, ornamental arms for street lights, concrete pavers in crosswalks, and decorative paving in the center turn lane and at key intersections, neighborhood masonry columns, and trees. The project also includes raised medians as identified in the Corridor Master Plan, between 27th Street and 25th Street and a small section of median east of 25th Street.
In order to construct the improvements, additional right-of-way is required at all of the intersection corners. Parcel #7 is the Walgreens located at 2508 West Broadway and owned by the Walgreen Co., an Illinois Corporation. In order to properly construct the ADA ramps for the sidewalks and the traffic signal pole, an acquisition of 395 square feet (0.0091 acres) is necessary. A permanent easement is also required for a bus shelter on Parcel #7. The easement is 7.76 feet by 40 feet, resulting in an acquisition area of 310 square feet (0.0071 acres). The impact to the existing property is minimal as seen on the attached exhibit.
The local store manager was first contacted in August of 2018 regarding the acquisition. The store manager forwarded the offer to purchase and attempted to coordinate with the Corporation, but the effort has been unsuccessful. The property owner has been non-responsive after numerous attempts to contact them by phone and e-mail. In order to complete the acquisition and avoid delays to the project, eminent domain proceedings are necessary.