title
Resolution Authorizing the Award of a Supplemental Contract to WSP USA Inc. in the Amount of $384,602 for Professional Engineering Services for Phase 1 Design of the Downtown Trail
body
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Department: |
WMPO |
Meeting Date: |
1/6/2026 |
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Contact Name: |
Abby Lorenzo |
Public Hearing: |
No |
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Contact Phone: |
910-341-7890 |
Advertising Date/Advertised By: |
N/A |
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Attachments: |
Attachment #1: Resolution; Attachment #2: Downtown Trail Proposed Alignment |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this resolution is to award a supplemental contract to WSP USA Inc. (“WSP”) in the amount of $384,602.20 for professional engineering services for the Downtown Trail Phase 1 Design (2TRST2215).
BACKGROUND:
The Downtown Trail was identified in the New Hanover County/City of Wilmington Comprehensive Greenway Plan in 2013 as a 5.9-mile, multi-use path that provides a connection between downtown Wilmington and the parks and neighborhoods east of downtown, extending to Forest Hills. Ranked as the top priority project within this plan, the future trail is also considered regionally significant by its priority project identification in the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (“WMPO”) Cape Fear Navigating Change 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
Phase 1 of the Downtown Trail is a 1.7-mile segment beginning at 3rd Street downtown within the NCDOT-owned rail corridor to McRae Street (defined in the Wilmington Rail Trail Master Plan); abutting the Dorothy B. Johnson Elementary School eastern parcel line; traversing east along CSX right-of-way to Archie Blue Park; and continuing north through Archie Blue Park, parallel to the creek and terminating at the Love Grove Bridge multi-use path facility.
The project was awarded $680,000 in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (“CRRSAA”) funding for the engineering and design phase from the WMPO in October 2021. WSP, one of the City’s on-call consultant engineering firms, was selected and awarded the design contract in the amount of $492,794.87, based on the firm’s demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the City of Wilmington’s standards and expectations for trail design, technical specifications, and public involvement. Two supplemental contracts, in the amounts of $20,284.24 and $97,364.35, have been awarded to WSP to support additional railroad coordination, survey, and design elements. To date, $610,443.46 has been encumbered towards the current contract, with $68,000 allocated to NCDOT fees.
Following critical coordination with railroad partners, additional and necessary design elements were identified that fell outside the initial scope of the project. Based on these new design elements, the initial design contract amount was insufficient to fund the full design and engineering for the project. In March 2025, the WMPO Board awarded an additional $431,200 in federal Surface Transportation Block Grant - Direct Attributable (“STBG-DA”) funding to complete the project’s design, with the City committing 20% local matching funds in the amount of $107,800, for a total of $539,000 in additional funding for the project. Of this amount, $53,900 is allocated to NCDOT review fees. The supplemental contract, in the amount of $384,602.20, will provide sufficient funding for WSP USA Inc. to complete the design.
Future project right-of-way acquisition and construction phases will require additional funding.
budget
BUDGET IMPACT:
Sufficient funding currently exists in the project to award this contract.
2TRST2215 -RSTRCRRSAA-CPPRECONS -CPDESIGN $1,556.54
2TRST2215 -RSTRSTPDA -CPPRECONS -CPDESIGN $383,045.66
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
Passage of the resolution is recommended.