UPDATE: Erie Street Closes Tuesday for the Summer
Road reconstruction part of downtown redevelopment work
Photos
Editor's note: this story has been updated as initially it incorrectly stated Erie Street would be closed to pedestrian traffic during construction.
Erie Street will close downtown starting Tuesday for a little more than two months so its surface can be completely reconstructed as part of the downtown redevelopment work.
The section of road that will close is between South Water and South DePeyster streets. The closure is expected to last until at least Aug. 15.
During this closure, the road will be closed to car traffic and no parking will be permitted on Erie Street, but pedestrian access will be maintained to businesses as well as access to the drive-thru at Tree City Coffee. Access to the businesses will be maintained.
Kent City Engineer Jim Bowling said pedestrian access will be maintained though the method of access will change throughout the course of construction as different sections of sidewalk are under construction.
"There will always be access," Bowling said. "It's fluid. Access is going to be maintained at all times to the businesses by pedestrians as well as the parking areas. There will also be some access to those too."
The road had closed earlier this spring intermittently and only during the regular work day as crews installed a new water line ahead of the complete surface reconstruction.
Several business owners on Erie Street are bracing for the closure, which they expect will have a negative effect on business.
The road work is being paid for in part thanks to several state-level grants.
Ann VerWiebe
4:01 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Gah! Although parking down there the last month has been really dicey - and a little scary - so if probably doesn't matter as much. When does the parking garage go up? Will it be finished by Sept. 20?
Matt Fredmonsky
4:13 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The new parking garage is not scheduled to open until early 2013.
Andy Koch
5:17 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Matt,
Do you know if Alley 4 (the newly refinished alley) will be open during this Erie street closure?
RONALD BURBICK
8:24 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Alley #4 will be open throughout the Erie Street construction
Andy Koch
9:50 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Hey, thanks Ron! Perfect person to answer my question.
Cheers for everything you have done for Kent.
RONALD BURBICK
8:32 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
CORRECTION TO ARTICLE!!!!!
ERIE STREET WILL NOT REPEAT WILL NOT BE CLOSED TO PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC DURING THE ERIE STREET RECONSTRUCTION AND ACCESS TO ALL BUSINESSES ON ERIE STREET WILL BE MAINTAINED. ALSO, VEHICULAR TRAFFIC WILL BE MAINTAINED TO ENABLE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE DRIVE-THRU AT TREE CITY COFFEE AND PASTRY.
The city and the property owner and the businesses have worked together cooperatively on this disruption and every effort is being made to minimize the impact on all concerned. The result should easily justify these disruptions. The city will be contacting PATCH directly to clarify any misunderstandings they may have had.
Matt Fredmonsky
9:12 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
The story has been updated to reflect the correction. It's pretty rare such things get past me and I apologize to the readers for any concerns this story may have initially created.
Brandon Tidd
12:30 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Fortunately the nice weather and summer session should mean for a relatively easy time of parking on Franklin or Water Streets and walking over. I'll be excited to see the final redesign.