Committee hears streetscape update

The Downtown Streetscape project has been slowed down by everything from rain to high-force winds to electrical wires and the lack of tree grates, but Doug Sprouls with Sprouls Construction said things were plugging along.
Sprouls spoke to Downtown Revitalization committee members Thursday, updating them on the project’s progress.
He said workers had been pelted by the weather, which left some spots too damp to pour. The wind also created hassles, he said, by blowing around the stop signs the company used to at each intersection.
Sprouls also answered questions about why the corners on some blocks were torn up. He said it was due to electrical wiring that needed to be moved or relocated before he could fill things back in.
But Sprouls said the most popular item of conversation was the trees. The company has yet to receive its tree grates, but he said he expected those in later this month. After receiving those, he said workers would start installing the grates, and the Green Vase Zelkova trees that will go inside the grates.
“I don’t want to say anything positive or negative or indifferent about the trees,” Sprouls said. “I just want you to know that’s the subject that most people want to talk about.”
Also coming soon will be the completed streetlights. Sprouls said some light poles were already up on the east side of Broadway, but he said that a piece was missing to put in the lights effectively. He also said workers wanted to make sure that the paint was dry on the posts to have a nice finish before they started going up.
In other business, committee members:
• discussed a façade grant application submitted by John Kutz for 608 N. Broadway for $5,000. The application will be up for review at Tuesday’s Pittsburg City Commission meeting.
• talked about the Colonial Fox Theatre earning a $90,000 Heritage Trust Fund Grant. The Colonial Fox will also start hosting Second Sunday Tours, to be held the second Sunday of every month. The first one will be this Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• discussed progress at Europe Park. Commissioner Patrick O’Bryan said
• spent time talking about the recent Art Walk. Committee members called it a success, despite having limited area due to the streetscape project.

Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134