|
Sidewalk Sale Without the Sidewalk,
Promoting Businesses During Construction
Thirty-six business owners, elected officials and leaders of local organizations gathered at the Schilling Center on May 16 to discuss both dealing with upcoming construction on Main Street and promoting Brookville at the same time. One of the ideas mentioned was holding a unique "sidewalk sale" when there is no sidewalk on a particular block.
 Nancy Main, President of Main Street Brookville
Main Street Brookville organized the meeting and Nancy Main, President of Main Street Brookville, Cheryl Kaiser and other board members led the discussion. They admitted that they had more questions than answers at this point. Ms. Main said, "We are not blindly optimistic and we are very aware of the impact on everyone who lives in Brookville." However, she was upbeat about local businesses working together and "making Franklin County a rewarding place to live." Part of Main Street Brookville's mission statement says, "Brookville is the heart of Franklin County, Indiana. We need to keep it beating."
Brookville Town Board Member Darrell Flaspohler answered questions about the construction project. He said that the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will hire a contractor in December 2016 and work will begin April 1, 2017. The plans include installing new sidewalks, curbs and lighting as well as paving Main Street. The paving area runs from Arby's restaurant on the south end of town to Pizza King on the north end. Work is planned to be finished in "one season" before the end of 2017.
Sidewalks construction will be done one block a time from Third Street to Connersville Avenue. Handicap accessible ramps will be added.
A key concern for business owners was keeping Main Street open. They heard that two lanes on traffic will be maintained at all times. The only exception is when work is being done on Oregon Hill, south of Third Street. That traffic will have to be rerouted.
Tim Ripperger, Town Administrator for the Town of Brookville, will serve as the liaison with the construction crew.
Joe Jester, owner of Brookville IGA, offered his suggestion that work be done at night to minimize problems. He predicted that his business would still lose revenue of 10-15%, even if work was done at night. He said that his sales would drop 40%, if construction was "a mess".
Others were concerned about the loss of street parking and traffic delays caused by left hand turns. Brookville Town Board Member Bob O'Bryan reported that the town is actively working toward demolishing some blighted properties to create either off-street parking or green space. He hopes that two properties are removed by the end of May.
Tom Horninger of FCN Bank encouraged businesses to cooperate with INDOT in advance to avoid delays later. He gave the example of two former coal chutes that have to be sealed before construction. He also said that three levels of communication about construction would be necessary to help three different groups: local residents, "infrequent local visitors", and tourists headed to Brookville Lake.
John Schnetzer, of UNIREF, Inc., said that he is already looking for alternate routes for 100 trucks per week that come and go from his business. Since traffic will be maintained on Main Street (US Highway 52), there will be no official detour for truck traffic. Brookville is situated with rivers on both the east and the west sides, which limits options for detours.
Brent Riehle of the Brookville Street Department said that they are considering improvements to ease traffic during construction. They will ask INDOT about installing a traffic light or caution light at the intersection of SR 252 and Mill Street. At present, only Mill Street traffic has a stop sign. Additional signs will also be needed.
Bill Schirmer, President of the Economic Development Commission, said that 2 million visitors go through Brookville and one goal has always been to encourage them to stop and shop in Brookville. Mr. Schirmer said that the visitors may now be stopped in traffic, and we have to encourage them to park their cars and shop.
Another suggestion was using Brookville Police and/or volunteers to direct traffic at certain times.
All of the ideas were recorded. Attendees were asked to join a database that would be used for quick communication.
Nancy Main introduced David Wecker, who has been hired by Main Street Brookville to assist with promoting Brookville during the construction period. Ms. Main also introduced Jessica Landau, a local art student, who offered a graphic to promote Brookville. It is titled "Brookville, a Strong Past and a Stronger Future." One of the next steps includes a conference on September 29, when more answers will be available.
OTHER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Construction on Main Street is just one of several state projects in Franklin County affecting residents and businesses. Huntersville Road at Interstate 74 in Ray Township will close for several weeks beginning in June or early July 2016. US Highway 52 near New Trenton will be closed from July 11 to November 11, 2016 to repair two culverts. State Road 1 at US Highway 52 will close for 90 days for bridge repairs. The contract will be awarded in the fall of 2016. No date has been announced for the SR 1 closure. Residents are being encouraged to gather petitions against the SR 1 closure.
| 
