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City Council unanimously adopted the 10-year Capital Improvements Program and Plan for fiscal 2023 through 2032. The plan calls for more than $59.3 million worth of projects in the first year and a five-year total of more than $371.4 million.

Only the first-year allocations in the plan move forward to the city’s budgeting process.

In that first year, $44 million of the $59.3 million will come from the general government fund, nearly $9.3 million from the public utilities fund, nearly $5.5 million from the stormwater fund and $500,0000 from the information technology fund. The city has proposed issuing $29.9 million in general obligation bonds in the first year, and is expected to issue at least $29.5 million in bonds over the next four years after that as the city looks to preserve its AAA bond rating.

City Finance Director Tealen Hansen gave a brief presentation of the CIP before a public hearing.

Highlights of what has been proposed for the first year of the CIP:

• $4.1 million for the new College Drive fire station, around $2.3 million for new and replacement fire apparatus, just over $400,000 for ambulances and $100,000 for a breathing air system.
• $73.7 million for public schools in the first five years of the CIP, and just over $11 million in the first year — $7.5 million to begin replacing John F. Kennedy Middle School and more than $3.5 million for schools major repairs/systems replacement. The JFKMS replacement is slated to receive another $22 million in the second year and $20.5 million in the third year. An addition to Northern Shores Elementary would receive $1.2 million in the second year, and a combined $14 million in years three through five.
• $9.8 million for year one projects such as the traffic operations center ($2 million), citywide signal timing ($586,681) and the Freeman Mill bridge over the Spivey Swamp ($484,000), with more than 40 transportation projects slated to receive $110 million in the first five years.
• $16.4 million combined in fiscal 2025 and 2026 for the Diverging Diamond Interchange at Godwin Boulevard at the U.S. Route 58 Bypass. The project is being paid for through the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale program. Additional improvements to Godwin Boulevard ($11.1 million in fiscal 2026) and U.S. Route 17 road widening ($12.8 million combined in fiscal 2025 and 2026) also make up significant parts of transportation projects in the CIP in future years. (More info on the Diverging Diamond Interchange: https://www.virginiadot.org/info/innovative_intersections_and_interchanges/ddi.asp).
• About $17.7 million for Parks and Recreation projects in the CIP over the five years, $710,000 in the first year. The Driver Complex is slated to get $6.2 million over five years, with the first bit, about $1.7 million, that would come in fiscal 2024.
• Nearly $16.6 million — and around $26.2 million over five years — for public buildings and facilities, including $6.5 million in the first year toward renovation of the Human Resources building, $2 million to village and neighborhood initiatives.

For the five-year general government CIP expenses, 42% would be spent on transportation, 28% on schools, 10% on public buildings and facilities, 8% on public safety, 7% on Parks and Recreation, and 5% on village and neighborhoods.

The largest amount of local money over the first five years of the CIP, at 41%, would go to schools, with 20% going to transportation. The majority of the revenues for the first five years of the CIP would come from bonds (55%), followed by state, federal and other money (31%) and the city’s general fund (14%).

More information

See the CIP Subcommittee recommended Capital Improvements Program and Plan for fiscal years 2023 through 2032: https://www.suffolkva.us/DocumentCenter/View/6328/FY-23-32-CIP-Subcommittee-Recommended-Capital-Improvements-Program-and-Plan