This section of Main Street in Twin Lakes is set to get a facelift next year, thanks to $1 million in federal grants.
Twin Lakes’ Main Street will be completely closed to traffic at times during the renovation scheduled to take place next year.
When that happens, customers wanting to visit downtown businesses will be able to park in a lot on the south side of Main Street and then cross the closed street as pedestrians to patronize businesses on the north side, engineer Mark Kolczaski, Baxter & Woodman, explained at a public information meeting on the project Monday evening.
The project is being funded largely through federal stimulus grants totaling over $1 million. Planned for a couple of years, it was put off after anticipated commercial developments fell through. But it was revived after the federal grant funds became available, said David Cox, village administrator. As it stands now, the project will include a rebuild of the street, new decorative sidewalks, new decorative lighting and street trees. Infrastructure for a fire suppression system to serve downtown at a future date also will be installed.
The project will be put out to bid in February. likely start in May and be wrapped up in the fall of 2010, Kolczaski said.
Also of interest to downtown business owners is that the area of the project, along Main Street from North Lake Avenue to Burden Avenue, will lose 15 angle parking spots. That’s to accommodate a future connection of Burden with Bassett Street and access to a commercial development where the Twin Lakes Chamber and Business Assocaition office stands.
“All of this boils downs to improving the business climate and the business opportunity downtown,” Cox said.
Other points about the project mentioned Monday:
- The intersection of Main Street and North Lake will be pushed out east to accommodate a new configuration that should improve the turning radius for larger vehicles.
- There will be bump outs of the sidewalk where pedestrian crossings are located. The bump outs improve pedestrian safety by shortening the cross walk, Kolczaski explained.
- The lighting to be installed is designed to throw less light against businesses and more to the sides.
- Traffic will be detoured from the area up North Lake Avenue to Holy Hill Road on the village’s northside.
View Larger Map
The intersection of Main Street and Lake Avenue in the above view will be extended east.
