By Steve Plunkett
The two-month report card for Phase 2 of Gulf Stream’s Core District construction project is good, but work will likely stretch through the year-end holidays and into 2026.
Rebecca Travis of Baxter and Woodman Consulting Engineers told town commissioners at their June 13 meeting that the construction contract now has a 56-day approved extension of the completion date.
“So the original date was Dec. 13 of ’25 and now it’s Feb. 7 of ’26,” Travis said.
Commissioner Joan Orthwein, who had hoped the construction would be over before the holidays, wanted more details.
“Are you going to be paving roads in January, February or December? Or will you be … finishing up little things like mailboxes and driveways?” she asked.
“In December they’ll probably be paving, but typically the contractor takes off the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That’s up to him. He can still work it, but the restoration, the cleaning up on the mailboxes and that, that should be probably January,” Travis replied.
Once Phase 2 is done, contractor Roadway Associates LLC will then pave Phases 1 and 2 together with the final lift of asphalt. Part of January’s restoration work includes replacing broken curbs and valley gutters, Travis said.
The 56 extra days were based on additional road widening the town requested, a water main change and some weather and holiday delays, she said.
Commissioners approved paying Baxter and Woodman $68,170 for the extra time the company will be coordinating and supervising the project.
They also approved taking a loan not to exceed $7 million from Seacoast National Bank to finish the construction and pay for a water pipe connection to Boynton Beach, which has agreed to supply Gulf Stream with drinking water. The interest rate will be 5.32%, said Mark Bymaster, the town’s chief financial officer.
Roadway started on Phase 2 of the Core construction on April 21.
“We are pleased with the progress that they are making,” Town Manager Greg Dunham said. ”I think one of the reasons is that they’ve not run into water like they did” previously. “It wasn’t necessary to do as much dewatering in Phase 2 as it was in Phase 1.”
Phase 1 included Polo Drive and the finger roads, the scene of much flooding during previous king tides and storms.
Comments