Streetscape project continues on Main Street
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POLSON — Excavators, dump trucks, Bobcats and workmen in bright orange vests are busy on Polson’s Streetscape project. The project broke ground on Main Street Aug.16 and extends from 7th Avenue to Highway 93 and has now progressed to week nine.
It was announced at the July 19 Polson City Commission meeting that Kalispell construction firm LHC, Inc. received the bid for the project at $1,602,193.68.
According to Polson City Engineer Shari Johnson’s comments at the same Polson City Commission meeting, the project will include reconstruction of the majority of the sidewalks, installing water service lines, repaving the streets, providing pedestrian lighting and pedestrian crossings with new striping, buying larger trees and landscape preparation at the corners.
Up and down Main Street most of the business owners agree the street will look great when the construction is done, but waiting for construction to finish is hard.
Some customers are looking at navigating Polson’s downtown back alleys as an adventure while others just don’t bother to go downtown cause it’s such a maze.
Judy Frame, who lived in Ronan for 40 years and now lives in Missoula, said she didn’t have any trouble. Frame parked in the alley to visit Jackie M’s Footwear because she likes Jackie’s shoes.
“Business has been good,” Kathy Klinge, manager at All in Stitches, said. “We deeply appreciate the efforts customers have made to find their way to us.”
“I just keep repeating ‘It will be worth it when it’s done,’” Klinge added.
Klinge’s neighbors at Main Street Market are owners Larese Reum and Peggy Van Ness, and they said the construction “is killing us.” They’ve laid off their employees, have been working the shifts themselves, and are thankful for loyal customers.
“I hope we can bounce back,” Reum said.
Business is down for Jackie and Mike Cripe, owners of Jackie M’s Footwear, and they appreciate the people who have made the effort to come to their store.
“The biggest complaint we’ve heard from people is getting from one alley to another,” Jackie said since some of the side streets are also blocked off.
“The construction will absolutely be worth it when it’s done,” Jackie said and adds that the downtown wants to do a block party to celebrate the project’s completion.
Marilyn Maier from Page by Page Books also said she was planning “some kind of a really good party” to “thank my dear customers for their patience and support” and also invite them down to see the completed Streetscape.
At Gull Printing, Chip Kurzenbaum said the Streetscape construction made it more of a challenge for customers to come to his store, but business has been pretty good. Gull Printing has a good back entrance and parking for customers, so that’s handy.
Kurzenbaum said hopefully the project will add more businesses to the downtown district since new sidewalks and new streets are not going to bring direct benefits.
Marilyn Frame, owner of J.C. Penney Hallmark and Espresso Bar said, “Has it affected the business? Will it help, will it be good in the end? Yes. The construction is a temporary thing.”
Polson Park Superintendent Karen Sargeant explained the rounds of grassy sod located here and there on Main Street are being used to temporarily fill the holes where trees were. The trees on Main Street were dug up using tree spades, which take a plug of soil around the tree’s roots. The trees themselves were relocated to Linderman School, and plugs of sod from Linderman were used to filled the holes.
At the First Resort, Jim Duford said construction has affected business, but they prepared for tough times.
“We’re in support of Streetscape,” Duford explained.
At a project meeting on Oct. 12, the contractor said they hope to open the street from Seventh Avenue to Fourth Avenue next week.
According to the Polson Chamber of Commerce’s website, this week’s planned construction includes:
• Paving from Fourth Avenue to Third Avenue
• ADA (Handicap) access from Seventh Avenue to Fourth Avenue
• Possible paving of parking lot on Fifth Avenue
• Curb and gutter Fourth Avenue to Third Avenue
• Two-inch water service connections installed from Third Avenue to Second Avenue (which is Highway 93)
• Storm water and filtration south side of Third Avenue
• Possible opening of street to pedestrians from Seventh Avenue to Fifth Avenue
