Flagstaff voters’ rejection of Proposition 408, which would have rezoned land for Northern Arizona Healthcare’s relocation of the Flagstaff Medical Center and development of a Health and Wellness Village master plan, is having ripple effects and repercussions on several infrastructure projects that were planned to support growth in the area.
Many infrastructure plans geared around Phase I of the development are no longer moving forward.
NAH, the Arizona Department of Transportation and the City of Flagstaff would have shared responsibility for the projects. NAH has withdrawn its contributions to the projects following the referendum’s defeat.
Among the $77M NAH would have paid for Phase I infrastructure costs was $48.9M to widen Beulah Blvd. and realign Mountain Dell Road, $12M to regrade an intersection for a future Interstate 17 underpass, $4.5M for a new fire station, and $1.3M for fire and police impact fees.
Flagstaff has withdrawn a RAISE grant application it submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation to widen Beulah to four lanes and add bike lanes and a multiuse pathway, among other improvements.
The I-17 underpass project predates the NAH plan, and NAH would only have been responsible for the intersection grading. The underpass may be built at a later date without NAH involvement.
ADOT is still planning to move forward with replacing the Powell Bridge, but the project will no longer include improving the intersection or widening the bridge. ADOT began accepting contractor bids for the bridge replacement last week.
Relocating Fire Station No. 6 would have cost $4.5M from both Flagstaff and NAH, for a total of $9M. The City is no longer moving the station. (Source)