Council says expedite Mapes work

Dan Sheehan started his presentation at last week's Reno City Council meeting by saying that his architectural firm was still basking in the glow of winning the Mapes design project, awarded to the Reno-based firm by a unanimous vote of the council a few weeks earlier.

Now, Sheehan and his firm, Sheehan Van Woert Bigotti, find themselves under the gun to get it done.

Last week's council meeting was the first public meeting concerning the Mapes project since the contract was awarded in early November.

And the council - Mayor Bob Cashell in particular - made it clear they want to break ground by June.

"Let me set the tone for this," said Cashell when the possibility of starting the project in 2005 came up.

"2005 is not in my vocabulary.

I expect this thing to start no later than June 1 next year."

"Our logic tells us that will be very, very difficult," responded Sheehan.

"That's not what you told me the other day," said Cashell.

"I'd hate to take this whole project back to the drawing board."

Sheehan began to outline the timeline for design work, soliciting bids and delivery of materials required before the project could begin.

"If you'd indicated this before, we might not be sitting here with you today," said Cashell.

But it was the first time the council had officially indicated the deadlines they wanted to meet.

The project's request for proposal did not include dates, said Angela Bigotti, principal with the architectural firm, and deadlines were not discussed at any of the subsequent meetings between the council and designers, said Sharon Zadra, city councilwoman.

In the end, the firm promised to work with the city staff to expedite the project - by streamlining the building permit process, possibly breaking ground before design work is completed, and letting the Regional Transportation Commission, which has plans to repave Virginia Street in 2005, do most of the work to narrow the city's main drag.

And in the end, the council changed little of the original design for the new plaza, except to ask for additional lighting.

"I just don't want any lollygagging around on this" Cashell said at the end of the meeting.

"I want to make sure we get started on this as soon as we can in 2004."