Undergrounding Project To Continue This Summer

Overhead utility lines near the Mar-a-Lago Club owned by President Donald Trump may be replaced with buried lines by 2020 as a part of the Town of Palm Beach’s ongoing undergrounding project according to a town official and as first reported by the Palm Beach Daily News. 

The president’s club falls within the targeted area for the next phase of construction in the process of burying all overhead power, cable television and phone lines on the island. 

Steven Stern, manager of the underground utilities program, doesn’t expect the tight security surrounding Mar-a-Lago during the president’s visits to the island to cause problems.

“We anticipate it will be one of the easier areas,” he said. “We’ll come around the curve [on State Road A1A] and zip right by.”

The Town of Palm Beach has contacted Mar-a-Lago about the project and the club has been “very accommodating,” Stern said. Stern said that staff have also been in touch with the Secret Service about security.

“They want a book with photographs of the trucks and personnel that will be in or near Mar-a-Lago,” Stern said. “We will abide by their rules and give them everything they need to ensure there are no surprises.”

Undergrounding Project To Continue This Summer

The town-wide undergrounding project began in 2017 and has been divided into eight phases. Last year, the Town Council decided to combine phases two and three in an attempt to attract more bids and drive down the cost.

That work, under the name “Phases 2 and 3 South,” will extend from Sloan’s Curbe, past Mar-a-Lago, up to the alley just south of Worth Avenue. Crews could begin digging as early as this summer, Stern Said. 

Palm Beach’s Town Council recently approved Kaufman Lynn as construction manager for Phases 2 and 3 South. Kaufman will gather bids for subcontractor, then bring his total price to town staff for negotiation, Stern said.

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Staff will make recommendations regarding the acceptance of these prices probably in May or June, Stern said. If approved by the council, construction could begin the next month and is expected to take roughly 18 months to complete.