By Katie Northcott
At its August 26 meeting, City Treasurer Kay Parker summarized the City of Shelbyville’s ongoing projects. Below is the rundown based on her report to the City Council and the handout she gave to council members at the meeting.
Flood Pumps
New flood pumps were originally estimated to cost the city a about $6.9 million. The bid for the actual flood pump came in at $1,830,000, which was $870,000 less than estimated. The consulting fee came in at $635,000.
The FY26 budget allocates about $4.4 million to this project. The city has already paid some of the flood pump cost and consulting fee, but still owes $1,555,500 for the flood pumps and $422,500 of the consulting fee. This leaves $2.4 million in the FY26 budget to cover installation and rehab costs. If the bid comes in at a higher price, the city must amend the budget.
The bid for installation is targeted for late October or first half of November. Construction is projected to begin in January 2026 and be completed in August 2026.
Fairfield Pike
The Fairfield Pike project is adding a center turn lane, a sidewalk, and new signals to four intersections. The city signed a contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for this project in 2016 and contracted with a consulting and engineering company, Gresham Smith, in 2019.
Though the project was originally estimated to cost $2 million, the current estimate is about $5.6 million. Per the contract with TDOT, the state will pay approximately $3.6 million, leaving the city to cover the remaining $2 million.
Of this $2 million, the city has paid $85,000 and has allocated $200,000 to this project in its FY26 budget. The city receives about $300,000 annually from the state’s “small cities” funding and will designate this money toward the project as well.
The project is currently in the Right of Way (ROW) phase and is expected to continue in this phase until the fall of 2027. The ROW phase includes steps like verifying ownership of the road, addressing utility needs, and reviewing designs.
Construction is projected to begin in 2028 and be completed in 2029.
River Overlook
The River Overlook is a project to create a walkway and overlook to the Shelbyville square. The city was awarded a grant for this project in 2021 and signed a contract with TDOT in October 2022. The city approved Neel-Schaffer to oversee the project in February 2023.
The original estimate for this project was about $1.5 million but has since risen to about $3 million. Per the TDOT contract, the state will cover $1.1 million, leaving the city to cover $2 million.
The city has already paid $215,776 to Neel-Schaffer and budgeted $300,000 toward the project for FY26. This leaves $1.4 million for the city to pay in future years. Neele-Schaffer is working with TDOT to find additional grants to fund the project.
Construction is planned to go to bid in the spring of 2026. It is projected to be completed in the fall of 2027.
Madison Street Sidewalks
The city was awarded a grant for this project in November 2022 to build a sidewalk on Madison Street from N. Main Street to E. Lane Street. The city signed a contract with TDOT in April 2023 and approved Griggs & Maloney to oversee the project in December 2023.
The project is estimated to cost about $1.2 million. Per the contract with TDOT, the state will pay about $1.1 million, leaving the city to cover the remaining $123,719. The city has already paid Griggs & Maloney $2,092 and has budgeted $122,891 toward the project for FY26.
The project is currently being assessed for its environmental impacts per the National Environmental Policy Act.
Deery Street Sidewalks
The city was awarded a $550,000 grant for sidewalk construction on a portion of Deery Street in December 2023. In October 2024, the city approved Griggs & Maloney to oversee the project. South Central Tennessee Development District (SCTDD) is administering this grant for an additional fee.
The project estimate is $654,762, meaning the city will pay just over $100,000. Since the city has already paid $15,824 in fees to Griggs & Maloney and SCTDD, it has budgeted $91,082 to complete the project this year.
The project is in the construction phase and should be completed soon.
State Industrial Access (SIA) Road to Duksan
The city signed a contract with TDOT in August 2022 to fund 50% of the ROW phase of this project to construct a road serving Duksan. The city paid its share upfront in the amount of $170,500 in January 2023. Bedford County reimbursed the city $85,250 in March 2024. Duksan donated $50,000 to the project in November 2023, which has yet to be accounted for in transactions with the county.
Hiring difficulties and Walmart’s expansion caused the County Highway Superintendent to delay construction until FY27. As a result, the city did not budget any funds for the project for FY26. Parker does not know if the city will be asked to contribute more funds in the future.
H.V. Griffin Park Soccer Fields
The city was awarded a $2.5 million grant to build soccer fields at H.V. Griffin Park. The grant required a $2.5 million local match. The city satisfied this match by contributing land valued at $1.73 million and committing $770,000 to the project.
The city allocated $385,000 to this project in its FY26 budget and will allocate the remaining $385,000 in its FY27 budget.
The city hired World Architects and Engineers to oversee the project. Construction is projected to begin as soon as October.
Airport Capital Projects
TDOT awarded the city $6 million for various airport projects including an aircraft run up area, a midfield taxiway, a corporate hangar, a terminal remodel, and a terminal parking lot. The grant required a $600,000 local match. The city allocated $300,000 in its FY26 and will allocate $300,000 in its FY27 budget.
All projects covered by the grant must be under contract and the funds must be obligated by June 30, 2026. The designs for the run up area and midfield taxiway have been completed. Those projects will go to bid for construction this month.
Riverview District Project
Throughout 2024, the city allocated a total of $210,000 to the Riverview District project to acquire property, expand the Fly Arts Center parking lot, and fund stormwater improvements, paving, and underground utilities. The city spent $164,173.90 of this money.
In the FY25 budget, the city approved $750,000 for this project and has used $605,944.02 to pay Curl Construction to oversee Spring Street improvements and work on McGrew Parking Area. Relocation of utility lines, tree cutting, and other miscellaneous items bring the total spent in FY25 to $641,228.37.
No funds were allocated to this project in the FY26 budget, but $250,000 from the Hotel/Motel Fund were allocated to the Riverview District to stamp concrete, improve stormwater drainage, remove bollards, and add pedestrian lighting and curb ramps. The City Council must amend the budget to allocate $108,771 to finish paying for utility line relocation.
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