From a towering boiler building to a massive reservoir and more, the city of Mercer Island has a host of projects on its plate as we roll into the final months of 2024.

* Over at Luther Burbank Park, the contractor’s boiler building renovation and seismic retrofit work is expected to reach completion by sometime in November, according to City Manager Jessi Bon, who addressed this project and others at the Oct. 15 regular city council meeting.

“We are really in the final stretch of finishing this project,” said Bon, adding that the city plans to host a two-pronged ribbon cutting this spring to highlight the boiler building work and Luther Burbank pickleball courts opening.

The recent boiler building tasks included installing a steel roof cap on the chimney along with putting the finishing touches on handrail and electrical work. On the trenching for new electrical conduit front, that job may be pushed until the spring depending on the recent weather conditions, city documents state.

* In the reservoir realm, the contractor has reached the midway point of this “significant project” that involves replacing the interior and exterior coatings of the twin four-million-gallon water tanks. The coatings protect the underlying steel from corrosion, according to city documents.

Following the completion of interior coatings on one of the tanks last year, work on the second tank is now in motion. Work includes the contractor cutting a temporary door into the south reservoir so workers can access the equipment and materials in order to engage in the relining work, which features spot welding structural roof support elements and more.

* And then there were three, as in a trio of police modular buildings situated at the city hall site.

The third and final building was delivered in October and the following tasks were completed as of mid-month: ramps and stairs installation, energization and plumbing. Next up on the to-do list was data cabling and installing the key card access system and furniture.

“We intend to be into that building the first week of November,” said Bon, adding that the Mercer Island Police Department will continue its move from the Luther Burbank Park administration building to the suite of modulars.

* Also on tap is Mercer Island’s sewer SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system replacement, which is an extensive project that involves Valley Electric work near four pump stations, Bon said.

For approximately two weeks at each site, Valley Electric will replace electrical control panels and instrumentation in the dry and wet wells during this project that maintains SCADA system equipment in providing reliable water system monitoring.

“This is work we’ve identified as needing to be updated and we’re happy to see this is moving forward,” said Bon, noting that they’ve experienced supply chain delays and lead time issues.

The stations involved in the project are situated in the 4000 block of East Mercer Way, 4700 block of Forest Avenue Southeast, 5400 block of West Mercer Way and the 6400 block of 77th Avenue Southeast.