Middleburg Heights poised to get $1.5 million boost for detention basins work

hio – Changes in design and construction costs for property needed to complete the three-basin Abram Creek Detention Basins storm water project have resulted in the need for an amended agreement with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

Middleburg Heights City Council on Sept. 24 authorized Mayor Matt Castelli to sign and submit the revised contract.

NEORSD officials in May 2020 agreed to reimburse the city $3.8 million for design, permit and construction work. They have now recommended providing the city an additional $1.5 million. The original five-year project schedule will be removed.

Regional sewer district board members will meet in October to consider approval of the additional funding. If granted, the revised total agreement amount would be $5.3 million.

Besides design and construction changes, the amended agreement also indicates there will be a cost increase because additional design elements were not noted in NEORSD's advanced planning study.

"We are currently working to get final approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward on the second basin," Castelli said at the Sept. 24 council meeting. "We hope to see work on that in late fall.

"We also are still working on the third and final basin (known as Basin No. 1), which is the largest one, and recently purchased property to ultimately meet our goal of putting in that final basin."

One of the basins – Basin No. 3 between Pearl Road and Big Creek Parkway – already has been completed and is operational.