Marshall Mitchell: Mitchell Main Street's Fourth, Second avenues closed for streetscape improvements
Mar. 31—MITCHELL — Mitchell Main Street is open for business, even with the flood of orange cones, detour arrows and road closed signs.
Road closures started the morning of Monday, March 31 for the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Main Street to begin streetscape improvements. The Main Street detour route is North Rowley Street.
Improvements include bump outs on Fourth and Second Avenues, all new asphalt, sewer and water main replacement, electrical updates, American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps, and replacement of curb and gutter, and increased storm water capacity.
The Main Street intersections at Fourth and Second avenues are the last of a series of Main Street streetscape improvements within the
BID No. 3 Tax District, a beautification tax fund for businesses and infrastructure along Main Street.
A public meeting was held on March 27 at City Hall to present the improvement plans for the intersections of Second Avenue and Fourth Avenue at Main Street. City, engineering, and construction representatives were on hand to field questions. Eleven local business owners or representatives were present.
Proprietors on Main Street had mixed feelings about the streetscape improvements.
Dan Hauser, who owns Second Impressions antique mall on Main Street, said that people are used to the construction, and that locals understand.
"Anytime you stop traffic, be it foot traffic or vehicle traffic, it hurts. If they can't drive by or park close to the front, some people don't bother — it doesn't matter if it's Corn Palace week or a parade," Hauser said.
Hauser said the street projects would affect Einstein's Vintage Clothing, Costume, and Formal Wear Sales, which is owned by his wife, more than it would affect the antique mall.
"I think they make the street look nicer. We have to keep our utilities functioning," Hauser said. "It's an undesirable necessity."
Proprietors and apartment residents in the area can expect water shutoffs with notifications from the city, and some electrical work may affect the street lights on Main Street for a short time. Water shutoffs will be staggered by zones for each intersection.
"We're hoping, even if we do run into problems, that it won't be near as complicated as last time. If somebody's water is off, and you don't think it's supposed to be off, call us right away," Public Works Director Joe Schroeder said.
Main Street proprietor Michelle Buchholz, a cosmetologist, owns Studio 24 at 310 N. Main St. and is apprehensive about water being shut off.
"So all day without water, that means no business. So I'm hoping that it's a good on and off. Yeah, it's gonna affect me. I have no water, I have no money," Buchholz told the Mitchell Republic.
Perhaps one of the Main Street businesses to be least impacted is Janet Fritzemeier of Crane Realty at 200 N. Main St.
"I come and go for showings and closings and go to people's houses, so I don't think it'll affect me. I'm not a retail business," Fritzemeier said.
As part of the sewer line replacement on Main Street, pumps to bypass the sanitary sewer line are planned at Fifth Avenue and Main Street.
From July 18 to Aug. 1, Main Street intersections must be open for events, according to officials. The Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo parade will take place on Friday, July 18, and the pre-Sturgis party begins on Main Street on Thursday, July 31.
Road closures for the intersection of Second Avenue and Main Street will start on Aug. 4, after the pre-Sturgis party has ended.
The construction timeline for Fourth Avenue has a "substantially complete date" of July 18. The construction timeline for Second Avenue has a completion date of Oct. 10.
"What that means is the project is done to its intended use. So landscaping might not be done, but hopefully the road and curb and everything like that would be done," said Eli VanRoekel, the project inspector for the streetscape improvements from McLaury Engineering.
Sidewalks in front of businesses at the intersections will be open during most of the construction phase.
Mitchell Public Works has received complaints about pedestrians and wheelchairs crossing the street at crosswalks and not being seen because of cars parked near the crosswalk, according to Terry Johnson, who is Mitchell's engineering project supervisor.
"How the federal government is and their focus on ADA requirements that we have to follow, wheelchair accessibility and safety with pedestrians, it's just becoming a bigger and bigger thing. So this type of project creates a safer place for pedestrians to cross," Johnson said.
Additionally, the
intersections of First and Seventh Avenues at Main Street
will receive ADA-compliant upgrades, with construction from May through July. New traffic light replacements are
to be completed by the fall.
Mitchell Main Street and Beyond's Executive Director Elizabeth Luczak plans to bring an art walk to downtown and reveal more art installations this year. After the streetscape constructions are finished, a block party is planned to celebrate Main Street businesses.
"We're actually already seeing an uptake in foot traffic," Luczak said.
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