Construction could begin as soon as Friday on Front Street between Broadway Avenue and Garfield Avenue, as well as between Frank Avenue and Garfield Avenue.

The project is being done to alleviate the flooding problem on the street, which since first construction, has been sinking due to the the soil under it.

Between Frank and Garfield, the pavement will be removed and replaced, the land will be regraded and storm sewers will be added.

Between Broadway and Frank, the concrete will be repaired.

According to City Engineer Dave Olson, between Frank and Garfield, Front will be closed until late October. He said that between Frank and Broadway, the street will be cut down to two lanes.

The estimated cost from the lowest bidder, Albert Lea’s Sorenson Brothers, was $993,357.95. The costs will be covered by state aid municipal construction funds.

In other city council action Monday:

-The Big Island Rendezvous got $2,500 from the city Monday night, despite a warning from City Manager Paul Sparks that the council didn’t have enough money in its contingency fund.

Councilman Jeff Fjelstad argued that the Rendezvous is one of the biggest festivals for Albert Lea, and draws many people throughout the Midwest to the city.

The council voted 7-0 to approve the gift.

The Rendezvous was also granted permission to put up a wall in Bancroft Bay Park for a cannon-firing range during the Rendezvous in October.

The wall, which would be constructed out of telephone poles, would be a safeguard against the fired cannonballs missing their targets. It would be built and paid for by Freeborn/Mower Cooperative Services.

The cannon-firing range, right now, faces into mounds of earth. Sparks brought up the fact that those mounds are American Indian burial mounds, and federal law prohibits digging in those areas.

Spokespeople for the festival said they would look at other areas of the park for putting in the wall. Jay Hutchison, the city’s parks director, will have a say in where the wall will end up.

The council granted permission, contingent upon the wall being taken out when not in use and the land being put back the way it was when the group is finished.

-Three bars applied for 2 a.m. closing status to the city council: the Aragon Bar, the Nasty Habit and Harold’s Bar. Bar owners indicated that the new closing time likely won’t be used each business night, but rather on special occasions.

-The city renewed an agreement with the state department of transportation that has the state pay for two-thirds of the maintenance costs for the airport. The cost to the state is $36,932.

(Contact Peter Cox at peter.cox @albertleatribune.com or 379-3439.)