(KLZA)-- The Falls City Council has approved moving forward with a revitalization project in the 1600 Block of Stone Street. 

The base bid for the 1600 block sidewalk replacement from AHRS Construction in Bern, Kansas, was $389,367.  They were the only firm to submit a bid.  

The engineers, Snyder and Company out of St. Joseph, Missouri, suggested continuing with the same look as phase I, except the bump outs will be smaller.  

There is just shy of a quarter million dollars left in grant funding for the project.  City administrator Gary Jorn says it is a use it, or lose it scenario with the funds.  If Falls City does not move forward with the project, the City would have to return nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars to the Department of Economic Development. 

With the bid at nearly $439-thousand. Jorn said he feels capital  improvement sinking funds from city sales taxes can be used to make up the approximately $190-thousand difference. 

With the Council approving the funding for the project, it is expected the engineers will give AHRS of Bern, Kansas the authorization to proceed around April 1.  The project is supposed to take 110 days to complete, being finished before the Cobblestone Festival in August.