Streetscape Project Gets Its Funding
July 23, 2008
By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal Staff Writer
Greenwood, SC - Any Greenwood area residents who have taken time to visit the Emerald Triangle portion in Uptown Greenwood over the last year or more have likely come to appreciate the drastic improvements to the Greenwood Community Theatre and Federal Building, and the complete remodeling of Oregon Avenue.
The streetscape project on Oregon yielded perhaps the most dramatic results, transforming what was essentially a non-functional back alley into a picturesque thoroughfare and parking area for Uptown.
Following a ruling from Greenwood City Council Monday night, the next -- and what assistant city manager J. Charles Barrineau called the most complicated -- phase of the Emerald Triangle project is set to commence. |
New awnings have been installed on buildings along Maxwell Avenue as part of the renovations on the street. (Contributed photo) |
Council approved the expenditure of nearly $1 million for a streetscape project on Maxwell Avenue, a project which will be highly similar to the one that transformed Oregon.
According to Barrineau, just more than $320,000 for the project will come from a Rural Opportunity Investment grant, with the balance being paid for through hospitality taxes.
Barrineau said the money from the Rural Opportunity grant going toward the streetscape project is the balance of a $1 million total grant the city received more than two years ago.
According to Barrineau, the lion’s share of that grant was used to pay for the facade improvement project currently under way on Maxwell.
On Tuesday, Barrineau discussed the Maxwell streetscape project, which he said is expected to begin in October.
“The look will be very similar to Oregon,” Barrineau said. “The power lines will be gone. There will be decorative lamppost lighting. All of the sidewalks will be removed and replaced with new sidewalks with decorative bricks. They will install landscape bumpouts, which should help slow traffic, though we certainly don’t want to discourage traffic.”
Barrineau said a great deal of work and resources will go into reworking the asphalt base and sub base of the avenue, allowing enough slope for proper storm drainage.
New drainage pipes will also be installed along Maxwell and decorative crosswalks will be put in.
Barrineau said he expected the Maxwell project, on which AOS Specialties will perform construction, to last six months. During the first three months, Barrineau said the lower end of Maxwell, from Edgefield Street to Monument Avenue, will be closed.
During the next three months, the second phase of the project, the upper end of Maxwell, from Monument to Main, will be closed.
The assistant city manager, who has closely overseen the Emerald Triangle project, was enthused about what will eventually come of the work.
“This will transform Maxwell Avenue,” Barrineau said. “I believe this will help lead to Maxwell Avenue being a destination for Greenwood.”
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