By Ted AYALA

Glendale City Council agreed to execute an agreement with a Los Angeles-based firm that would help Glendale move forward with the second and third phases of its ambitious Glendale Narrows Riverwalk Project.

Funding for phase two of the plan – $1.53 million – is secured, said director of Community Services and Parks Jess Duran.

The source of the funding for phase two of the project is made up of $475,000 in funds from Measure R and $875,000 from a state grant the city obtained for the project.

“Phase three is a much more complicated, much bigger project,” he said. “That’s a $10 million project or more.”

According to the city’s website on the project, phase three will be the signature element of the project: a multi-user bridge across the Los Angeles River from the Riverwalk to the Los Angeles Bike Path, then stretching onto Griffith Park. That path will be designed specifically for non-motorized travel between those recreational facilities that are also part of the Los Angeles River.

A contract in the amount of $725,000 was effected by the city for the consultation services of Atkins North America, Inc. The firm, which bills itself as “one of the world’s leading design, engineering, and project management consultancies,” has several projects ongoing in the United States and abroad.

Atkins, according to director of Public Works Steve Zurn, was chosen from five firms surveyed by city staff.

“In this particular case one of the key factors was that one of the firms was using a very renowned bridge designer and also had experience working with the Army Corps of Engineers,” he said. “They had a very good established relationship with them and that was one of the factors that put them ahead of the pack.”

The bid, Councilmember Zareh Sinanyan noted in questions to Zurn, had been negotiated down from its initial $1.84 million.

Congressmember Adam Schiff is said to be very interested and supportive of the project, according to Councilmember Laura Friedman.

Opposing the project was Mayor Dave Weaver, citing his experience in the Army Corps of Engineers.

“Even though [this project] uses grant money, I won’t be supporting it,” he said.

  Ted Ayala