Agenda Date: 02/10/2026
Subject:
Title
Main Street Improvements Update
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Adrienne Burton, Director of Major Projects |
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Presentations: |
Adrienne Burton, Director of Major Projects |
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Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this study session is to provide City Council with an update on the Main Street Improvements project and to confirm the framework for advancing the project from the adopted Project Downtown vision into design. Following adoption of the Concept Plan, the project has moved from long-range planning into early implementation. This phase focuses on translating the approved vision into testable, buildable design solutions while maintaining alignment with Council direction, established financial guardrails, and long-term capital planning principles.
This session outlines how the project will advance from the concept plan into design, including the structure, sequencing, and governance framework that will guide decisions prior to any construction authorization. The discussion centers on how design development, cost validation, and risk management occur before construction is considered, and how Council’s role transitions from early policy influence to formal governance and oversight as design maturity increases. During this study session, Council will:
• Reaffirm the adopted Concept Plan as the basis of design, confirming that current work is focused on implementation and refinement - not reconsideration of the approved vision.
• Review the phased design approach, including preliminary design, schematic design, and final design, with defined decision points for Council input and public engagement.
• Understand the project delivery structure selected to manage cost, schedule, and risk, including early coordination, independent cost validation, and transparent pricing prior to any construction commitment.
• Confirm City Council’s governance role throughout design.
This study session confirms alignment on a disciplined and transparent approach to advancing the project - one that preserves flexibility early, establishes decision clarity as design progresses, and protects the City’s financial and operational interests. No construction authorization, final design approval, or funding action is requested.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Vibrant Community with a Rich Culture; Robust & Resilient Economy; High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
Council Direction to Date
City Council has consistently emphasized the importance of advancing major capital projects in a manner that balances near-term infrastructure needs with long-term fiscal sustainability. Through multiple study sessions, retreat discussions, and project updates, Council has reinforced several core principles that continue to guide the Main Street Improvements project.
These principles include:
• Fiscal discipline and long-term sustainability, with particular attention to managing debt service obligations in a way that preserves future capacity and maintains flexibility for emerging needs.
• Project readiness, ensuring that major funding and construction decisions are supported by validated design information, realistic cost estimates, and a clear understanding of scope, assumptions, and risk.
• Transparency and predictability, both in Council’s governance role and in how project information is communicated to the community, stakeholders, and downtown businesses.
These principles inform the delivery structure and phased decision-making framework being presented to Council tonight. At the September 9, 2025 Study Session, Council supported advancing Main Street into design within established financial guardrails. This guidance established the foundation for the current phase of work, which is focused on increasing design maturity, validating cost and risk assumptions, and confirming governance prior to any construction decision.
From Adopted Vision to Basis of Design
With adoption of the Project Downtown Concept Plan in November of 2024, City Council established the long-term vision, design intent, and policy direction for Downtown Littleton. That plan now serves as the formal basis of design for Phase I - Main Street Improvements. The adopted Concept Plan defines what the community and Council expect Main Street to become; the current phase of work focuses on determining how that vision can be delivered responsibly within financial, technical, and operational constraints. The work currently underway does not revisit or reconsider the adopted vision. Instead, it focuses on translating that vision into implementable solutions by:
• Testing constructability and feasibility
• Evaluating phasing and access strategies
• Identifying cost drivers and tradeoffs
• Aligning scope with available funding
This process ensures that future Council decisions are informed by realistic design assumptions and current market conditions rather than conceptual estimates alone.
Phase I - Main Street Improvements
Phase I focuses on reinvestment in the corridor’s core infrastructure and public realm, including:
• Replacement and modernization of aging utilities
• Roadway and sidewalk reconstruction
• Enhanced safety, accessibility, and multimodal functionality
• Streetscape placemaking improvements consistent with downtown character
• Phasing strategies that maintain business access and minimize disruption
Phase I also establishes the delivery structure, design standards, and governance model that will inform any future phases of Project Downtown, ensuring subsequent investments benefit from lessons learned and consistent decision-making practices.
Design Sequencing
Design for the Main Street Improvements project advances through a series of intentional, phased steps that allow the City to test assumptions, evaluate tradeoffs, and incorporate feedback before committing to detailed engineering or construction pricing. This structured sequencing is a core project management practice designed to preserve flexibility early-when options can still be explored-while establishing discipline as the project progresses toward implementation. Each phase builds upon the previous one and is aligned with specific decision points for staff, the community, and City Council.
The Preliminary Design phase focuses on translating the adopted Project Downtown Concept Plan into testable design options.
During this phase:
• Up to three variations of the adopted concept are developed to evaluate how the vision functions on the ground.
• Design tradeoffs related to performance, durability, constructability, maintenance, and cost are identified and compared.
• Preliminary coordination begins around utilities, access, drainage, and streetscape systems to identify constraints early.
• Preliminary cost estimates are developed and evaluated within the project’s established financial guardrails, allowing tradeoffs to be understood before design direction is set.
• Council and public engagement occur during this phase to understand community experience, operational impacts, and user perspectives on the design iterations.
This phase is exploratory in nature and is intended to surface opportunities, risks, and constraints early-before detailed engineering begins. The adopted vision is not reconsidered; rather, it is refined through technical analysis, cost evaluation, and community input.
Schematic Design advances the project from exploration to definition.
During this phase:
• A preferred alternative solution is identified based on public feedback, Council input, and technical and cost analysis completed during Preliminary Design.
• The preferred solution is refined into a cohesive corridor design that advances the adopted vision.
• Technical analysis is expanded to evaluate feasibility, coordination requirements, and implementation considerations.
• Cost modeling and constructability input are further refined to confirm alignment with project parameters.
Schematic Design represents the point at which the overall layout, intent, and strategy for Main Street are established. This phase advances the preferred solution identified through Preliminary Design rather than introducing new concepts or reopening prior policy decisions, while still allowing refinement before detailed engineering begins. Advancement to Final Design occurs only after Schematic Design is reviewed and accepted by the City, ensuring that Council policy direction, community input, and financial considerations are clearly established before the project proceeds toward construction authorization.
Parking and Curbside Management Strategy
In parallel with advancement of Main Street design, the City is developing a Parking and Curbside Management Strategy to establish district-wide policy direction for access, loading, parking, and curb use within the Littleton Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) district boundaries. This effort recognizes that parking and curbside operations are not solely design considerations, but policy, operational, and financial decisions that directly influence safety, mobility, business access, downtown vitality, and long-term sustainability. Establishing this policy framework prior to final design ensures that parking and curbside decisions inform - rather than follow - technical design, reducing redesign risk and supporting long-term operational sustainability. Establishing this framework early ensures that design solutions reflect operational realities and adopted policy direction, rather than attempting to retrofit curbside decisions after technical design has advanced.
The strategy is intended to support a resident-first, business-supportive, and financially sustainable downtown system, balancing access needs with opportunities to improve utilization, turnover, and long-term program performance. The Parking and Curbside Management Strategy focuses on:
• Assessing existing conditions and operational needs, including parking supply and use, loading and delivery activity, accessibility, and emergency access across the LDDA district.
• Reviewing current policies and regulations to identify opportunities for modernization and more consistent district-wide parking management.
• Testing operational scenarios with stakeholders and technical advisors to understand needs, constraints, and community priorities.
• Evaluating tradeoffs between safety, access, activation, and circulation, recognizing competing demands on limited curb space.
• Identifying revenue and cost-recovery opportunities, such as pricing strategies and technology tools, to improve turnover and support reinvestment in parking operations and the public realm.
• Coordinate any parking and curbside impacts specific to Main Street directly with the design process, ensuring that approved policy direction is incorporated into the final design and construction documents.
The outcome of this effort is a policy-level framework defining how parking and curb space function across the LDDA district, including recommended policies, operational approaches, and potential revenue strategies. Any parking and curbside impacts specific to Main Street will be coordinated and incorporated into the final design. Implementation details-such as striping, signage, enforcement, and construction sequencing in other areas of the district-will be addressed in later phases, once policy direction is established and funding is available.
Community Outreach and Engagement
Community outreach and engagement for the Main Street Improvements project is intentionally structured, phased, and aligned with key decision-making milestones throughout design and policy development. Engagement is intentionally sequenced to reflect the type of decisions being evaluated at each stage of the project. The most extensive engagement effort occurs during development of the parking and curbside management strategy, as this work directly affects access, loading, parking operations, circulation, and day-to-day functionality within the downtown district. Because these decisions have immediate operational impacts for businesses, residents, and visitors, engagement during this phase is broad, detailed, and policy-focused.
Engagement related to design occurs during the Preliminary Design phase, when the adopted Main Street Concept Plan is translated into testable design iterations. During this phase, public input is used to understand how the vision functions on the ground, evaluate user experience, and inform refinement of design alternatives. This engagement supports implementation of the adopted vision rather than reconsideration of the concept plan itself. Engagement activities include a combination of broad-based and targeted tools, such as:
• EngagementHQ, serving as a centralized platform for project information and feedback
• Littleton Report and online updates, providing consistent communication and transparency
• Surveys and open houses, allowing the community to review concepts, understand tradeoffs, and share input
• LDDA, Stakeholder Working Group representing downtown businesses, residents, and key user groups
This phased approach ensures engagement is timed to inform decisions-not after they occur-so community feedback is meaningful, transparent, and actionable. Input is documented and considered alongside technical analysis to support staff recommendations and Council discussions.
By aligning outreach with real decision points, the City is able to balance community priorities, operational needs, and fiscal responsibility, while maintaining predictability, building trust, and supporting informed decision-making throughout the life of the project.
Project Delivery Framework
Main Street is not a routine capital project. Its downtown setting, constrained right-of-way, historic buildings, aging utilities, and reliance on continuous business and pedestrian access introduce construction risks that must be identified and managed early-before construction is authorized. These conditions require early coordination, careful sequencing, and informed decision-making before the City commits to a final construction price. To address this complexity, the City selected a Construction Manager / General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery model.
CM/GC allows the City to engage a contractor during the design phase to support planning and risk evaluation-without committing the City to construction. This early involvement provides technical insight into how the project can be built, how downtown access can be maintained, and where cost or schedule risks may exist, while preserving City and Council control over all major decisions. Early contractor involvement does not authorize construction and does not transfer decision-making authority. Council retains full authority to approve - or decline - construction through the CAP process.
Under the CM/GC framework:
• The City retains full control over project scope, quality standards, design outcomes, and community objectives.
• The Design Consultant remains responsible for the design and professional liability, ensuring that technical accountability is maintained throughout the process.
• The CM/GC provides advisory preconstruction services only, supporting the City and design team through activities such as constructability review, phasing and access planning, schedule development, market-based cost estimating, and early risk identification.
• Construction is not authorized unless and until City Council approves a Construction Agreed Price (CAP).
The value of preconstruction services lies in providing the City with early, real-world insight before major financial commitments are made. Through this process, assumptions are tested, risks are identified and quantified, and design decisions are informed by current market conditions rather than conceptual estimates. This approach improves cost certainty, supports realistic scheduling, and allows the City to proactively manage risk rather than react to it during construction.
As design advances, preconstruction efforts culminate in development of a Construction Agreed Price (CAP)-a defined construction package that reflects an agreed scope, schedule, pricing assumptions, and identified risks. The CAP serves as the formal decision point for Council, allowing construction authorization to be considered only after design maturity, independent cost validation, and transparent review of how scope, cost, and risk align with the City’s financial parameters. This delivery approach enables informed decision-making, strengthens cost transparency, and protects the City’s interests by ensuring that construction is authorized only when the project is fully understood, appropriately validated, and aligned with Council direction.
BACKGROUND:
Project Downtown
Project Downtown represents the City’s long-term framework for reinvestment in Downtown Littleton, addressing mobility, connectivity, safety, parking, utilities, streetscape, and public-realm improvements in a coordinated and intentional manner. Rather than advancing isolated projects, Project Downtown establishes a comprehensive approach to improving how the downtown functions-both operationally and experientially-over multiple phases and funding cycles.
The program originates from the voter-approved Capital Improvement Sales Tax measure adopted in 2021, which was intended to support transformational, multi-generational improvements to the City’s infrastructure. Main Street Improvements constitute Phase I of Project Downtown and serve as the foundational step toward implementation. The adopted Project Downtown Concept Plan reflects extensive community engagement, technical analysis, and Council direction, and establishes the vision, priorities, and character for downtown revitalization. The plan provides the policy framework that guides subsequent design and improvement efforts.
Long-Term Capital Financing
The City faces a widening gap between its growing portfolio of capital needs and the funding available through traditional pay-as-you-go sources. Aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, escalating construction costs, and evolving service expectations continue to place pressure on limited revenues, underscoring the importance of disciplined planning, prioritization, and sequencing of major investments.
At the March 2025 City Council Retreat and the September 9, 2025 Study Session, City Council reinforced a consistent set of guiding principles that continue to shape the City’s capital strategy and approach to Project Downtown. Across these discussions, Council emphasized the importance of fiscal stewardship, balancing near-term infrastructure needs with long-term affordability and debt capacity. Council also underscored the need for transparency in engagement, ensuring residents and stakeholders clearly understand both the benefits and tradeoffs associated with major infrastructure decisions. Within this framework, Council recognized Main Street as a catalytic component of downtown reinvestment and provided direction to proceed with advancing the project into design-within established fiscal guardrails-while preserving future capacity.
Prior Actions or Discussions
City Council Retreat - March 2025
Council Retreat Update - May 2025
City Council Study Session - September 2025
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Advancement through design phases does not authorize construction or establish a final project price. Key financial principles guiding the project include:
• Alignment with Council-approved funding parameters
• Independent cost validation during design
• Avoidance of construction commitment without a Council-approved CAP
• Preservation of flexibility until scope, risk, and pricing are fully understood
Final construction costs, funding mechanisms, and debt service impacts will be presented to Council only after design maturity and CAP development are complete.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff requests Council’s feedback and confirmation on the following:
• Are the decision approval points clearly defined from Council’s perspective?
• Does this framework provide sufficient visibility into cost, schedule, and risk before any construction decision is brought forward?
Council feedback will confirm readiness to proceed into preliminary design under the proposed governance and delivery framework.
ALTERNATIVES:
Staff does not have any recommended alternatives at this time.