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Signs of an economy that is both heaving and drooping were on display during the Urbandale City Council meeting Feb. 12, where city officials unveiled job expansion plans and took note of a tight construction market that could benefit taxpayers.

The heave was demonstrated by requests from two companies that plan to expand operations in the city and create a total of 177 new jobs.

Continental Western Group, an insurance subsidiary of W.R. Berkley Corp., plans an $18.3 million project to create 76 new jobs over a five-year period and to purchase and renovate a building at 3810 109th St., currently used as a document processing center by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

City Administrator Robert Layton said the project would bring total employment for Continental, which is located at 11201 Douglas Ave., to 425.

Council members approved contributing $100,000 from the city’s revolving-loan fund and supported Continental’s request for a $350,000 Community Economic Betterment Account loan. The final decision on the loan will be made by the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

Mike Palmer, a spokesman for Nationwide, said the company has reached a tentative sale agreement with Continental. As part of the agreement, Nationwide will lease back space in the building for its 200 employees at the facility. Palmer said he did not know other details of the agreement. Lynsey Oster, Continental’s vice president for administration, would not disclose a proposed purchase price.

Another heave was presented by WorldWide Integrated Supply Chain Solutions Inc., 3611 109th St., which plans to spend $4.3 million to expand its transportation logistics facility and add 101 jobs.

The council approved a $60,000 contribution from its revolving-loan fund and supported WorldWide’s request for a $300,000 economic betterment account loan.

Gary Alvord, company president, said the funds will boost employment at the facility to more than 150.

Here’s the droop: Bids for three street improvement projects came in at about $2.6 million less than initial estimates, meaning final tax assessments levied on property owners abutting the projects will be less than forecast, said Dave McKay, city engineering and public works director. That’s good news for taxpayers, but maybe not so good for contractors.

McKay noted that a record number of contractors requested plans and project specifications on one of the projects, indicating a slowdown in public projects in the area.

“Literally, there’s almost nothing out on the street for public works,” McKay said. He also noted that the city might have benefited from taking bids early in the construction season.

Karyn Howe, a spokeswoman for Associated General Contractors of Iowa, agreed, noting that she recently was notified of 37 new projects pending in the public and private sectors.

Two of the most controversial Urbandale projects – street construction at 74th Street and Goodman Drive and along 1.5 miles of 156th Street – saw assessable costs fall 29 percent and 28 percent, McKay said. The assessed value of a project at 100th Street and Plum Drive declined 24 percent.

Lawsuits were filed Feb. 1 in Dallas County District Court by property owners who challenged preliminary assessments on the 74th and Goodman and 156th Street projects. At the heart of the lawsuits is a contention that large-lot property owners are paying more than their fair share of assessments.

The City Council will revisit the broader issue of how it calculates special assessments on Feb. 26, when it will consider a proposal that could result in a 25 percent decrease in assessments for single-family residences on at least 1.25 acres with 150 feet or more of street frontage.