This month, Powell City Council adopted the 2024-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), allocating $48 million toward improvements to City infrastructure over the next five years.
The Powell CIP is an annual document created to map out infrastructure projects over the next five years. City staff and City Council meet several times over the course of a year to evaluate projects, carefully considering funding sources, length and timing of design and construction, and the changing needs and priorities of a city.
A lot of work goes into a CIP, but the end result is a five-year roadmap detailing which infrastructure projects have been prioritized, the anticipated cost of each, how each will be funded, and when completion is expected.
Due to the restructuring of the municipal income tax, we have seen increased revenue in 2022 and 2023. The City’s financial policy allocates 25% of the prior year’s municipal tax revenue to the Capital Improvements Fund and that is the major source of funding for the CIP. This means the 2024-28 CIP is extremely robust and provides the biggest infrastructure investment our city has seen. $8.4 million in funding is currently allocated for 13 projects/initiatives in 2024.
While City Council and City staff revisit the CIP many times over the course of a year, and may make revisions based on a variety of factors, a few notable projects in the 2024-28 CIP include:
Scioto Street Extension – $4.65 million/projected completion 2025
This extension of Scioto Street from Liberty Street to Grace Drive (a new east/west road constructed just south of the Powell Cemetery) will help alleviate congestion on Powell Road (750), creating sidewalks on both sides of the street and adding 15 new parking spaces at the northeast corner of Liberty and Scioto.
Liberty Road Multi-Use Path – $1 million/projected completion 2025
This project connects the existing multi-use path on the east side of Liberty Road to the existing multi-use path on the west side of Murphy Parkway through the construction of a new connector with traffic signs and signals, allowing pedestrians to safely cross over the CSX railroad tracks.
North Depot Street Reconstruction – $2.2 million/projected completion 2024
This project improves the road, walkways, and lighting on the north side of Depot Street and adds more parking.
Adventure Park Pickleball Courts – $1 million/projected completion 2024
Due to growing popularity and recreational demand, the City has received the engineering plans for eight new pickleball courts at Adventure Park. Construction is estimated to begin in the spring of 2024.
Additional projects include a signage and wayfinding plan (projected completion 2027) and improvements to northeast quadrant parking (projected completion 2026.)