July 07, 2024
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Geneva committee recommends $700K in contracts for infrastructure upgrades

Substation, sanitary lift improvements tied to General Mills expansion

By Brenda Schory
General Mills, at 2089 Pillsbury Drive, Geneva, is proposing to expand its site for a 65,600-square-foot addition to its production facility and a 46,800-square-foot addition to its warehouse.

General Mills, at 2089 Pillsbury Dr., Geneva, is expanding its site for a 65,600-square-foot addition to its production facility and a 46,800-square-foot addition to its warehouse. Geneva officials are recommending infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the expansion. ( Image provided by City of Geneva)

GENEVA – Geneva alderpersons, acting as the Committee of the Whole, recommended approval of contracts totaling $700,000 for infrastructure improvements at its business parks to accommodate the expansion of General Mills.

In May 2023, the City Council approved General Mills’ proposed expansion of 65,600 square feet of its production facility and 46,800 square feet of warehouse space at its site at 2089 Pillsbury Drive.

Contracts recommended at the Jan. 16 meeting were:

• $32,000 with Fehr Graham Engineering & Environmental for design and engineering of the Kautz Road sanitary lift station

• $423,555 to Meade Electric for general construction at Geneva Business Park III

• $77,900 to L&S Electric Inc. for maintenance of the electric substations at Geneva Business Parks I and II

• $166,545 to Meade Electric for two 34.5 kV risers and cable for the General Mills electric expansion

“By now, you may be sensing a theme,” City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins said as each contract was presented.

The largest project – the two 34.5 kV risers – involves construction of one underground feeder from the Geneva Business Park substation to the General Mills property, Dawkins said.

“The remainder of the substation will be completed at a later date,” Dawkins said. “General Mills will reimburse the city for the cost of the installation.”

Fehr Graham, with seven offices in Illinois, including Aurora, is to redesign the Kautz Road sanitary lift station to expand its capacity, officials said.

“The Kautz Road sanitary lift station accepts flow from industrial buildings located along Averill Road, Kautz Road and Geneva Drive,” Dawkins said. “The lift station, which was constructed in 1994, was sized based on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and estimated sanitary flow from the area.”

Dawkins said since 1994 the lift station has operated with two of four possible pumps designated for the station.

“New developments within this area will increase wastewater flows to the station,” Dawkins said. “Additional pumps and controls will need to be added to the lift station to accept these flows.”

The lift station requires a design engineering review to analyze current and projected pump demand in order to determine the proper size for the new pumps and prepare plans and specifications for bidding and construction, Dawkins said.

“We’re going to look at the whole layout as far as maybe increasing the size of one of the pumps that are currently in there,” Water and Wastewater Superintendent Bob Van Gyseghem said. “Adding another one – at least one more, probably two – to give it the full capacity.”

The lift station work is being coordinated with General Mills’ expansion, Van Gyseghem said.

“We want to get the plans done this fiscal year so as soon as possible we can go out to bid,” Van Gyseghem said. “When General Mills is operating, we will be close to capacity at that station. But we’ve coordinated the workflow with them so when they do discharge, we’ll be in good shape.”

The City Council will take final action on the committee recommendations.

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