Ames is moving forward with plans to build a new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus that will replace the city’s aging waste processing plant that has been operating since 1975.

The Ames City Council approved preliminary plans for the $25.6 million facility at its Tuesday meeting, with bids due March 3 and a public hearing scheduled for March 10. The new campus will be located on Freel Drive and must be operational by July 1, 2027, to avoid significant increases in waste disposal costs and electric rates.

The project centers on a 33,275-square-foot metal building that will house a large tipping floor where garbage trucks can dump their loads and a two-story office area. The facility will process municipal solid waste from throughout Story County, using machines to separate recyclable metals before loading the remaining trash into semitrailers bound for the Carroll County Landfill.

Workers will use a shredder to open garbage bags, then pass the waste under magnets and separators to pull out ferrous and non-ferrous metals. An education room on the second floor will allow school groups and visitors to watch the operations below, helping the community learn about waste management and recycling.

The 9.5-acre campus will also include a scale house with two weight scales, a customer convenience area for residents to drop off household waste and recyclables, and a yard waste collection zone. The site will feature a fueling station with biodiesel and regular diesel for city vehicles, plus storage areas for trucks and equipment.

HDR Engineering of Omaha designed the facility for a fee not to exceed $965,715, while Story Construction of Ames will serve as construction manager. The project has been divided into 11 separate contracts covering everything from concrete work to electrical systems.

The old resource recovery plant has faced technical, economic and regulatory problems in recent years. It previously converted waste into supplemental fuel for the city’s power plant boilers, but that arrangement has become increasingly difficult to maintain.

Funding for the new campus will come primarily from revenue-supported bonds totaling $22.4 million, with the electric utility fund contributing $2.3 million and general obligation bonds providing $975,000. The budget includes $16.8 million for construction costs plus contingencies, inspection fees and management costs. An additional $2.3 million will purchase transfer trucks and trailers, while $975,000 will pay for paving Freel Drive next to the site.

Problems arise with the Aquatic Center

The Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center is on track to substantially complete construction by late February, though city staff has ordered costly upgrades to fix lobby floors that didn’t meet quality standards.

The non-pool areas of the facility are scheduled for completion Feb. 20, with the natatorium spaces following on Feb. 27. However, a 10-week delay in glazing for the southeast portion of the pool area means that work won’t be finished until late March or early April. City staff is working with Story Construction to speed up the process or find temporary solutions.

City staff rejected the polished concrete floors in the lobby and hallway leading to locker rooms, citing inconsistencies, imperfections and poor overall appearance. The floors were originally specified as a Class B “salt and pepper” finish, but staff has directed the contractor to upgrade to a Class C finish that will look similar to terrazzo flooring.

The upgrade carries an initial cost estimate of $34,210, and discussions are ongoing about who will pay for the change. Work on the floors is scheduled to begin Feb. 9. The contractor has already replaced a colored accent band in the lobby at its own expense after that work was also rejected.

Construction change orders for the project now total $396,167, representing about 19% of the $2.1 million contingency budget. The project still has $1.7 million remaining in contingency funds, plus an additional $1 million set aside for contamination issues that hasn’t been needed.

Recent progress includes completion of all pool and deck concrete pours, installation of the water slide, and painting of the wellness and lap pools. Workers have installed lockers, doors, toilet partitions, athletic flooring and ceiling tiles. Exterior metal panels and parking lot lighting are also in place.

A state inspection is scheduled for March 3 to review all components related to the aquatic areas. Story Construction, RDG Planning and Design, and city staff are reviewing the inspection checklist to ensure the facility is ready.

Other business

• The council awarded a contract to DGR Engineering of Rock Rapids for engineering services to improve the Ontario Road and Mortensen Road electric substations in an amount not to exceed approximately $1.3 million.
• The council approved a contract with Insight Public Sector of Dallas, spending up to $287,531 for Microsoft software licensing.
• The council instructed city staff to move forward on a new workforce housing development after Iowa State University agreed to sell a portion of its land — located on the north side of Ontario Street and bisected by Scholl road — for the project. The maximum sale price of homes built in the subdivision would be $425,000.
• The council approved the first reading of an ordinance to update municipal code language about garbage and refuse collection and to add to the code a requirement for curbside recycling.
• The council went into closed session “to discuss matters presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent.”
• Next time: The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at Ames City Hall.