Work to continue on Main Street streetscape

PRINCETON — The city is looking at restarting work this spring on its Main Street streetscape project.

At Monday’s hearing, the Princeton City Council announced it will receive bids at 10 a.m. April 2 for the supply and delivery of exterior lighting fixtures for the Main Street streetscape project.

Commissioner Ray Swanson said the project will include 57 exterior light fixtures, as well as an additional 10 spare lamps. The new vintage-style lights will be placed from Clark Street to Backbone Road. Bid specifications are available through Chamlin and Associates, Peru.

Other Phase 1 work to be completed this spring includes construction of a pedestrian crosswalk on the west side of the railroad crossing gate, as well as a new storm sewer on the east side of the crossing.

As announced earlier by the Princeton City Council, Phase 1 of the Main Street project primarily included the installation of new curbing and sidewalk from Backbone Road south to the railroad crossing, as well as some changes in manholes. Phase 2 of the project, which runs from the railroading crossing south to Clark Street, will include new street lights, a new sidewalk on the east side of Darius Miller park, revised parking spaces, and traffic bump-outs.  Phase 2 work is expected to begin in the next few months.

Phase 3 will focus on the area north of Backbone Road to the Interstate 80/Route 26 interchange. When the entire Main Street project is completed, the upgrades and redesign will run from City-County Park south to the Bureau County Courthouse.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the city council reviewed the building permits issued by the city for the month of February.

Commissioner Bob Warren said the city issued two residential building permits in February, at a value of $22,050, as well as one commercial/industrial building permit, at a value of $14,500.

So far in 2008, the city has issued five residential building permits, at a value of $249,846, and two commercial/industrial building permits, at a value of $25,000.

In giving a comparison to the last two years, Warren said the city issued a total of 10 building permits for the January-February 2007 time period, at a value of $585,693, and a total of seven permits for January-February 2006 time period, at a value of $62,751.

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