The City is taking a measured approach to planning permanent repairs on a drainage culvert along East Elm Street, following the discovery of damage. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the City Council approved two contracts to assess the extent of the damage and began planning repairs to protect nearby buildings and public infrastructure.  

On Nov. 10, 2025, the City discovered that a section of a stormwater box culvert along Elm Street, between Broadway Avenue and Spring Avenue, had collapsed. This led to a large washout/void behind the culvert, leaving the culvert's roof unsupported and in distress. Emergency shoring was installed within the culvert that month to prevent further collapse and soil washout. The box culvert is 90 to 100 years old or older and contains other distressed and damaged areas beyond the collapsed section that require repair or replacement.  

The $148,805 contract with IMEG Consultants Corp is for design and construction services for 111 and 115 E. Elm St., an adjoining building. The project will identify and develop repairs to re-establish bearing of the undermined footing, develop a method for filling the sub-slab void spaces, and document the building's pre-construction condition. 

A $141,500 contract with HDR for the engineering assessment services will evaluate possible permanent repairs or reconstruction options for the stormwater box culvert stone along E. Elm Street.  

Because the culvert runs beneath a private building and active utilities, the City is carefully coordinating repair planning with nearby infrastructure work for the Consent Decree capacity improvements to minimize disruption and develop a permanent, engineered solution. 

The evaluations, analyses, and engineering for the Elm Street Building Foundation Remediation and the Elm Street Culvert Collapse Remediation projects will be funded by Half Cent Sales Tax Funds.