City Projects Under Way
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Crews remove the old brick street this morning at Center and Buffalo in Warsaw Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union
Construction on Warsaw's Center Street, in front of the Kosciusko County courthouse, is just the beginning of a total downtown rehabilitation project.
Warsaw Mayor Jeff Plank said Thursday that the "test block" of Center Street is part of a master plan.
"This is just the beginning of an annual event," he said. Future work will be done in sections or blocks, he said, like the neighborhoods - including Lake, Market and Union streets - that had their streets, curbs and sidewalks replaced in the past.
Renovation of the test block will include a great deal of excavation because sewer lines will be replaced and the old railroad tracks will be removed, Plank said.
After the underground work is finished, the street will be reconstructed; new sidewalks will be poured; and ornamental lighting, seating and trash receptacles will be installed.
The renovation will feature brick crosswalks at the intersections, but the street will be asphalt.
Guided by the Downtown Rehab Task Force, the project is aiming for "a very simple and clean look," Plank said, that will tie in with the same period as the county courthouse.
The test block will take at least one month to complete, he said, but not every upgraded block will include the sewer excavation being done now.
Some of the older trees that are difficult to maintain will be removed and replaced with ornamental lighting, he said.
The task force, which was formed last spring specifically to deal with the street project, decided that the courthouse is a magnet for people in the downtown area, so all the work is spreading outward from there, he said.
"Basically the project will complement what we anticipate will be a restoration of the buildings themselves," he said. "We feel this will be a catalyst and an incentive for restoration projects and increased investment in downtown Warsaw."
Plank said he realizes completing the entire project in a two-year period is somewhat ambitious.
"Obviously, we are not going to be able to get to every street in the whole downtown in a two-year period," he said.
Residents will experience some inconvenience, but that will be temporary, he said.
"It's going to be a mess for a while, but it's going to look great." [[In-content Ad]]
Crews remove the old brick street this morning at Center and Buffalo in Warsaw Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union
Construction on Warsaw's Center Street, in front of the Kosciusko County courthouse, is just the beginning of a total downtown rehabilitation project.
Warsaw Mayor Jeff Plank said Thursday that the "test block" of Center Street is part of a master plan.
"This is just the beginning of an annual event," he said. Future work will be done in sections or blocks, he said, like the neighborhoods - including Lake, Market and Union streets - that had their streets, curbs and sidewalks replaced in the past.
Renovation of the test block will include a great deal of excavation because sewer lines will be replaced and the old railroad tracks will be removed, Plank said.
After the underground work is finished, the street will be reconstructed; new sidewalks will be poured; and ornamental lighting, seating and trash receptacles will be installed.
The renovation will feature brick crosswalks at the intersections, but the street will be asphalt.
Guided by the Downtown Rehab Task Force, the project is aiming for "a very simple and clean look," Plank said, that will tie in with the same period as the county courthouse.
The test block will take at least one month to complete, he said, but not every upgraded block will include the sewer excavation being done now.
Some of the older trees that are difficult to maintain will be removed and replaced with ornamental lighting, he said.
The task force, which was formed last spring specifically to deal with the street project, decided that the courthouse is a magnet for people in the downtown area, so all the work is spreading outward from there, he said.
"Basically the project will complement what we anticipate will be a restoration of the buildings themselves," he said. "We feel this will be a catalyst and an incentive for restoration projects and increased investment in downtown Warsaw."
Plank said he realizes completing the entire project in a two-year period is somewhat ambitious.
"Obviously, we are not going to be able to get to every street in the whole downtown in a two-year period," he said.
Residents will experience some inconvenience, but that will be temporary, he said.
"It's going to be a mess for a while, but it's going to look great." [[In-content Ad]]