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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Jason Bauer, P.E., Director of Public Works/City Engineer
DATE: April 13, 2026
SUBJECT:
A resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to execute a change order to the existing contract between the City and HR Green for the Broadway Streetscape/New York-Galena Two-Way Conversion project in the amount of $121,760.47.
PURPOSE:
The city received a three-million-dollar grant for the beautification of Broadway Avenue through downtown, which is also Illinois State Route 25. Therefore, the City's efforts to complete the design for this project between New York Street and Benton Street need to be permitted through the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). For the last two-and-a-half years, HR Green has been developing concepts to get approval and move forward with permitting. Executing the change order will increase the amount of the contract to HR Green to complete the remaining items to get the project fully permitted by IDOT and ready to bring to letting later this year for construction to begin in 2027.
BACKGROUND:
This project includes vault filling, streetscape improvements, new signal equipment, roadway reconstruction and lastly the two-way conversion of the last remaining major one-way streets downtown, Galena Boulevard and New York Street between Lake Street and Broadway. A large portion of vault filling has been completed to date, with the remaining work anticipated to be completed this year. The roadway improvements, signals modifications, streetscape beautification, and two-way conversion work is anticipated to get let this year with construction beginning in 2027, pending receipt of the permit from IDOT. The existing contract with HR Green started in 2017 and has been modified via four change orders to date for a total cost to date of $1,042,766.57, not including the services to be added via this proposed change order.
DISCUSSION:
The increase in contract cost will allow HR Green to be compensated moving forward for the remaining work items, as the original scope did not include additional plan revisions and IDOT submittals required due to changing State standards and IDOT review. The change order agreement is attached as Exhibit A, and select plan sheets describing the proposed improvements are attached as Exhibit B. The funds required ($121,760.47) for this change order are available in account 340-1009-465.73-76 (CIP A055).
IMPACT STATEMENT:
There will be little impact with the approval of additional phase 2 engineering funding. When construction commences on the various phases, there will be lane closures and disruption to pedestrian traffic.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Please forward to the Infrastructure and Technology Committee for approval.
cc: Infrastructure and Technology Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to execute a change order to the existing contract between the City and HR Green for the Broadway Streetscape/New York-Galena Two-Way Conversion project in the amount of $121,760.47.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City received a three million dollar grant for the beautification of Broadway; and
WHEREAS, the City has been working with HR Green to complete the design engineering to obtain IDOT permit approval; and
WHEREAS, the original contract and four change orders to date have a value of $1,042,766.57, but did not have funds included for the significant effort required to update plans to meet new State standards and IDOT review requirements; and
WHEREAS, this $121,760.47 change order is required to provide the necessary funding for the consultant to complete the remaining work items and prepare for a letting this fall; and
WHEREAS, funding for this engineering is included in the 2026 budget in account 340-1009-465.73-76 (CIP A055).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the Director of Purchasing is hereby authorized to execute a change order to the existing contract between the City and HR for the Broadway Streetscape/New York-Galena Two-Way Conversion project in the amount of $121,760.47.