MANSFIELD — A Main Street road to improvement that began six years ago in Austin, Texas, cleared its last legislative hurdle at Mansfield City Council on Tuesday night.
The conception of a $17 million Main Street Corridor Improvement Plan began in 2018 during the annual South by Southwest conference, attended by a group of 15 local residents as part of the initial Mansfield Rising project.
The basic tenets of Mansfield Rising, a downtown reinvestment plan, was to dramatically improve the downtown’s attractiveness and abilities in terms of business, gathering and living.
The Main Street Corridor Improvement Plan was seen as a key element in that effort, according to officials, who worked with K.E. McCartney & Associates to write an application for the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity competitive grant program.
That effort led to an announcement in 2022 that the city would receive a $7.3 million federal RAISE grant for the project, which local lawmakers officially accepted Tuesday night, along with other final funding sources.
City engineer Bob Bianchi told council the project now has 14 funding sources, including federal, state and local dollars. About 80 percent of the funds needed for the project are not local tax dollars.
Council on Tuesday officially authorized the city to seek bids for the project, scheduled to begin in February and be complete by October 2026. The work will be done in stages to lessen the impact along the entire corridor from First Street to Sixth Street.
“It’s been a long process and we’re there and we believe we’ve got all the funds necessary to do the project,” Bianchi said.
Actual construction costs are estimated at $15.6 million with another $1.4 million for construction inspection, he said.
“I anticipate having a (contract) awarded in early January, maybe even in December. We’ll then know the contractor and we’ll start setting up for preconstruction meetings and construction will start. Our goal is February 2025,” he said.
The project includes a complete upgrade from Main Street from First to Sixth streets and Park Avenue from Main to Diamond streets.
The project involves replacing water mains, storm sewers, streetscape amenities, streetscape furnishings, decorative hardscape, sidewalks, curb ramps, signals, landscaping and lighting, Bianchi said.
The north and south plazas will be fully renovated, including fountain reconstruction.
He said new installations, such as mid-block pedestrian crossings, seating and decorative walls/fencing, brick crosswalks, brick hardscape, traffic control devices, irrigation, fiber, wayfinding signage and two decorative arches are included in the project.
Bianchi said road resurfacing and pavement striping will be done as Main Street is converted to two-way traffic.
more coverage of the main street corridor improvement plan
In other activity Tuesday, City Council:
— delayed votes related to zoning regulations for a recreational cannabis dispensary in the city until Aug. 20.
— delayed a vote until Aug. 20 on a request to have a former Ohio Brass building designated as an historical landmark.
— approved the appointment of Gary Freeman (1st Ward) and James Smith (2nd Ward) to the city’s Police Review and Community-Police Relations Commission.
— authorized the administration to seek bids for the $1.9 million connector trail between the B&O and Trimble Road — and also approved asking for bids on a separate $1 million project to link Trimble to the Mansfield Art Center via a trail along Millsboro Road.
— voted to accept a $5,480 donation from VFW Post #9943 for a new flag pole and flag at Liberty Park.
— voted to accept two grants totaling $75,320 for the Mansfield Fire Department. Funds will be used to enhance the MFD’s fire officer development training, “ensuring that our lieutenants, captains, and chief officers are all better prepared to serve and protect our community.” Funds will also be used to purchase a new washer and dryer to clean contaminants from firefighter gear. Grants came from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.