It's Happening in Downtown DeKalb

Nearing The Home Stretch

2011-11-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

Work will be wrapping up for the season within the next few weeks in Public lots 2 & 3. There is still a bit of landscaping work that needs to be done including stone walking paths in the islands and a few additional plantings. The trees and larger plants are in and they look fantastic. Light poles should start to go up later this week; the refurbished poles are going to look great on the new decorative concrete bases. Once the landscaping and lighting is completed we are left with only needing to mill, pave and stripe. Unfortunately milling, paving and striping is going to have to wait until the spring of 2012. Temperatures are already below the minimum temperature required to pave. By the end of this week both lots 2 & 3 and Grove Street will be patched where underground work was completed for lighting and storm sewer work.
The lots will be open and cleaned-up for the Downtown Hollyday Open Houses this weekend.
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as improvements are being made.
As always if you have questions or concerns please contact Joel Maurer, Engineer for the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000 or Lindsey Engelsman at the Re:New DeKalb office at 815-748-7788.

Trees, Trees & More Trees

2011-11-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

The landscapers are here today working in lots 2 & 3. They are hard at work planting trees and other plants in the lot as well as finishing it off with a layer of mulch. We love days like today when a lot of visible changes are being made in the lots! Also in the next few days you should begin to see the refurbished light poles from Lincoln Hwy being installed onto the new concrete light bases. After that will be milling, paving and striping.
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as improvements are being made.
As always if you have questions or concerns please contact Joel Maurer, Engineer for the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000 or Lindsey Engelsman at the Re:New DeKalb office at 815-748-7788.

and we're walking....

2011-10-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Things in Public lots 2 & 3 will begin to take a more visual turn over the next few work days.
There are crews here today forming up where the new concrete for the curbs and sidewalks will be poured. The plan is to pour on curbs and concrete on Friday and Monday (as long as the rain stays away).
Lighting is coming along....all concrete light bases have been poured and are curing. Watch for light poles to be installed on the bases soon. The light poles will look familiar as they are the poles that were on Lincoln Hwy. They've been re purposed and will be installed on the new concrete bases.
Landscaping will begin to be installed next week was well. This project includes a lot of landscaping on the perimeter of the lots as well as in what were the concrete islands.
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as improvements are being made.
As always if you have questions or concerns please contact Joel Maurer, Engineer for the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000 or Lindsey Engelsman at the Re:New DeKalb office at 815-748-7788.

Moving Right Along

2011-10-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

Things are moving right along in Lots 2 & 3. Virgil Cook & Sons continues to work at installing all the necessary underground work for the new lighting and expect to begin pouring concrete bases later this week in both Lots 2 & 3. Along with concrete bases comes replacement of concrete sidewalks and curbs!
Storm Sewer work is scheduled to begin in Lot3 this Thursday, October 13th. Because of where the storm sewer is located this work will require a closure on Grove St. between 4th and 3rd Streets. Work is expected to take one day.
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as improvements are being made.
As always if you have questions or concerns please contact Joel Maur, Engineer for the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000 or Lindsey Engelsman at the Re:New DeKalb office at 815-748-7788.

Out With The Old

2011-09-20T14:20:00.001-07:00

We are moving right along with improvements in Public Lots 2 & 3. The old lighting has been removed in both lots and temporary lighting has gone up. You can expect continued work this week in both lots by Elliott and Wood on the removal of concrete in the medians and portions of sidewalks around the lots. Virgil Cook will be busy this week in lot 3 with underground work for the permanent lighting. You can expect partial lot closures while both crews are working, but will still be able to access portions of the lot.
As always if you have questions or concerns please contact Joel Maur, Engineer for the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000 or Lindsey Engelsman at the Re:New DeKalb office at 815-748-7788.

Public Improvements Scheduled for Downtown Lots 2 & 3

2011-09-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Work to Begin September 12, 2011

The City of DeKalb is preparing for the next round of downtown public improvements. Work in Public Lot 2 (behind the Chamber/Chesapeake Bagel Bakery) and Lot 3 (corner of Grove and 3rd/4th) is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 12th. As always communication will be a critical element. Re:New DeKalb is committed to providing business/property owners with up to date information and assistance throughout this project. To keep business/property owners informed Re:New DeKalb will post regular updates on this blog, host regular construction meetings for business/property owners and residents, send out email notifications and coordinate with the local media to ensure the public is informed about access and encouraged to keep visiting our businesses during construction. RNDK will also coordinate with the City of DeKalb and contractors to ensure visible signage is in place notifying downtown visitors where to park and how to access the businesses. In addition to the City of DeKalb Engineering Department, the RNDK office will also serve as a point of communication for business/property owners throughout the project.If you have questions about the project please contact Lindsey at Re:New DeKalb, 815-748-7788 or City Engineer Joel Maurer at 815-748-2000.

As was presented at the June Rise & Revitalize Meeting the Project will include resurfacing of the lots, new lighting, landscaping to include trees, shrubs and planters, curb and sidewalk repair and replacement and some underground storm sewer work. We know these lots are important to your business and customers. As a reminder construction is to be staged so that the lots remain open at the end of each day. Areas not actively under construction will remain open to public use. The project will begin Monday, September 12 and is scheduled to be completed the first week of November. (This could changed due to weather)

Estimated Schedule Starting September 12, 2011
*work on Lots 2&3 will happen simultaneously
*Schedule subject to change

• September 12-September 16: Temporary Lighting Installation
This will require some parking spot closures as they remove current poles and install temporary lighting.
• September 19-October 14: Permanent Lighting Installation
• September 26-September 30: Concrete Removal
Lot 2- Sidewalks will be removed along the north side of the lot in front of Chesapeake, Feed ‘em Soup and The Church. Sidewalks will also be removed on the South side of the lot from 1st Street to 2nd Street. Access to businesses will be maintained at all times.
Concrete Islands in lot will also be removed.
Lot 3- The 2 large concrete islands that run the length of the lot will be removed. The raised walks on the perimeter of the east and west sides of the lot will be removed.
• October 3-7 scheduled to take about 3 days): Storm Sewer Work
Lot 2-Access to lot 2 from N. 1st street may be limited during this work
Lot 3- Access to lot 3 from E. Grove may be limited during this work
• October 17-October 21 (scheduled to take 3 days): Concrete Replacement
While sidewalks are being poured and until cured access to businesses will be disrupted. Access to businesses along the north side of the lot in front of Chesapeake, Feed ‘em Soup and The Church will either have entrances ramped or pedestrian traffic will be detoured to the entrance on N 1st street.
• October 24-October 28: Temporary Lighting Removed
• October 24-October 28: Landscaping
Trees, bushes and planters will be installed throughout both lots. Concrete islands will be replaced with landscaped areas with trees and plantings.
• October 31-November 4: Mill, Pave and Stripe Lots
Partial closures will be required as lots are milled, paved and striped. Lots will not be closed all day and will be reopened as work is completed.

Construction Update as of May 11, 2011

2011-05-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week makes! ComEd has completed the utility pole removal on Locust Street and we are working to finish up the remainaing tasks. Here is what you can expect for the next week:

Concrete and patch work - Alliance will be patching all the sidewalk locations where utility poles were removed as well as some alley patch work start on Wednesday of this week through next week.

Landscaping/Street furniture - Week of May 16

Brick banding installation - Week of May 23

Crosswalk painting - TBD based on weather, but we should see stamp work being done on Locust early next week followed by painting. Some additional material needs to be removed in the cross walk areas on Lincoln and then painting can begin.

Wired

2011-05-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images of Locust Street during construction with the overhead wires still in place...

What A Difference

2011-05-05T14:54:00.001-07:00

As of today only 6 poles remain on Locust Street. What a difference.

As you can tell we have made good progress since our post earlier this week. ComEd is moving right along. We have also had good progress on Lincoln Hwy with the removal of the failed crosswalk product. Next up concrete work and (we hope) warmer days so we can finish up the landscaping and paint the crosswalks.

Spring is Here!

2011-05-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and work is back in full force on Locust Street.

Here is what is planned for the next few days...weeks:

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Alliance has poured all the concrete available until the poles are removed. They are currently relocating the VB Plaza sign. They will begin cleaning up the lot at Locust and First late this week or early next week. Work will include removing the gravel, installing dirt, grading and then seeding. Once poles are removed by ComEd, they will return to finish concrete work.

FRONTIER:
All Froniter wires and poles should be removed as of Wednesday of this week.

COMED
Com Ed has made the last tie late last week and all power is now on the underground system. They are to start on May 4th removing the wire on the north side of Locust Street. They will be removing hardware off poles 1 block per day from 1st to 4th. At times there will be a 1 lane closures with 2 flaggers so road will never be fully closed. At times there will be sidewalk obstructions as wire comes down. All hardware is anticipated to be removed by Friday.

LANDSCAPE
Landscaper will be in the week of May 16th after all plants and shrubs are dug in the nursery.

CROSSWALKs
William Charles started removing failed materials today at the 3rd Street intersection They will continue to remove the failed product throughout this week. Once temperatures reach 50 and rising for 8hr periods they will begining painting the crosswalks with Streetbond 150. This is a special paint used for painting on streets. This is the same treatment as used on Annie Glidden Road. No thermoplast will be reinstalled.

As always, please contact Re:New DeKalb with any questions at 815-748-7788 or email jennifer@renewdekalb.com

Winter update

2010-12-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

Downtown DeKalb Winter Construction Update

The major construction work on Locust was completed as of November 18. The work was finished ahead of schedule for the overall project. Work will resume in the spring to complete the project on Locust by June of 2011 as anticipated. Hollydays in Downtown DeKalb is fully underway and many of our businesses are reporting a good start to the season. Shoppers and visitors are enjoying the downtown improvements as well as our many wonderful shops and restaurants and we encourage everyone to keep it local this season!

While most work is done until spring, here are some updates and a few reminders regarding construction during the winter months.

Utility work
ComEd, Frontier, and Comcast will be scheduling and overseeing their individual utility crossovers through the winter and in the spring. Customers will be contacted by the utility companies when work is schedule as well as if and when any disruptions in service might occur.

Signage installation
Parking and other regulation signs will continue to be installed this week and as weather permits.

Lighting
Some additional utility cabinet work was required for Locust St. after November 18 that resulted in some outages of street lights. All work has been completed at this time and there should be no further disruption of the on street lighting.

Crosswalks on Lincoln
The thermoplastic crosswalks on Lincoln Highway are not performing per the warranty. Unfortunately this is rather unsightly, but will be replaced by the contractor in the spring at no additional cost to the City of DeKalb.

Sidewalk De-icing Salt
Business and building owners are strongly encouraged to avoid using any de-icing salt that contains calcium chloride on the downtown area as it will cause prolonged periods of efflorescence (white chalkly residue on bricks). You are instead encouraged to use de-icing salt containing magnesium chloride or anything agricultural based.

Pedestrian Pass Thru
As a reminder, the Pedestrian Pass Thru will be closed after major snowfalls until city crews have time to remove the snow.

Have a wonderful Hollyday season and we look forward to seeing you in Downtown DeKalb!

Last Post of the Winter Season...

2010-11-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that the holiday season is starting, but we thrilled that construction work is done for the winter…and we ended up ahead of the overall schedule thanks to great support by our business owners and contractors…oh and we had some terrific weather too!

So this is our last post of the season, unless we get any further notifications.

Here is what to expect this week:

Brick work will go through the end of the week, with a possible need for some finishing work next Monday and Tuesday.

Landscape work will get finished on Monday Nov 22 with install of final bushes and plants.

Final electrical work should be done by Friday.

Locust will reopen to 2-way traffic on Friday, Nov 19 first thing in the morning

As a reminder – we WILL see the utility poles remain in place over the winter while the utility companies work to do the switchovers. ComEd, Comcast and Frontier will all be around over the winter to do their switchover work. They will notify customers whenever changes are to occur. This work is being done by the utility companies. We will pick back up in the Spring when the weather breaks and the final work should be completed by June of 2011.

Thanks to EVERYONE for another great construction season!

As always, if you have any questions, please contact City Engineer Joel Mauer at 815-748-2000 or Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788

On the Road Again

2010-11-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

Could not resist the title in celebration of Locust Street being final paved as of today at 3p.m.!

Here is what to expect for the next week or so:

Starting on Wednesday Nov 10
Installation of tree's and planter curbs.
Continue pouring sidewalk and underlayment

Thursday, Nov 11 & Friday Nov 12
Finish paving alley's and driveways along Locust. For short periods of time some drives and alley's will not be accessible while being paved. This will be for only a short period of time.
Install temporary asphalt around power poles that are remaining over the winter

Starting Friday Nov 12
Bricks will begin to be installed. Contractor will work throughout the following week as well.

Saturday Nov 13
Contractor will continue to pour sidewalk and underlayment to prepare for bricks.

Week of Nov 14
Set light poles
Continue installing bricks
Finish any landscaping and planter curb work
Installation of temporary strips for the road and parking

Also please note ComEd is beginning to pull wire's and has a project they are working on in the 1st and Locust St. area adjacent to the Egyptian Theatre.

Locust Street will re-open to 2-way traffic as of Friday morning Nov 19!

Final Stretch!!!

2010-11-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

With two weeks to go we are just about done on Locust for the winter and we have made great progress. We have already met the contract requirements of getting Locust to binder course and great news...we will be putting in the final course of Locust as well! Mark you calendars...Locust will reopen entirely to two-way traffic with tree's, light poles installed, sidewalk and bricks all in as of November 19.

Needless to say, things will be really really busy the next 2 weeks, but we are grateful that the weather has held and we have been able to finis more work than we had anticipated before the start of winter.

Here is what to expect for the next week or so:

Base course and Electric
We will be finishing the base course and electric work through the end of this week.

Sidewalk/Underlayment
We will be installing sidewalk and underlayment for the next week starting from 1st heading towards 4th.

Roadway prep/manhole/grinding - starting Thursday of this week thru next Monday.

Final Course
Currans will be putting the final course of the road on Tuesday of next week. There may be minimal disruption to entrances and drives (around 15 minutes) as the asphalt truck and roller move by. This is GREAT news. We will install temporary lane makers and stop lines until spring.

Tree's and Bushes
Landscaper will start installing tree's and bushes on Monday of next week.

Alley paving
Curran's will pave alley's following the paving of Locust on Wed, Thur or Friday of next week.

Bricks
Bricks will be installed starting on Wednesday of next week. Brick layers will be here for about a week.

As always, if you have any questions please contact Joel Mauer at the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788

Whirlwind of Activity

2010-10-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

It has literally been a whirlwind of activity along Locust Street and we expect it to keep up even after the 45+mph winds calm down.

Here is what to expect the next week or so on Locust:

Underdrains - starting at 1st and Locust the contractor will be installing underdrains and working towards 4th.

Light Base Foundations - again starting at 1st the contractor will be working to install the light base foundations and working towards 4th.

Curb & Gutter - curb and gutter was just completed up to 4th as of late Wednesday.

Paving of North side of Locust - you read that correctly, we are all set to pave the north side of Locust St. to binder course this Saturday, October 30 starting at 7a.m. Contractor hopes to have all work done before the kids arrive to trick-or-treat at 1p.m. However, The Locust will not open to 2-way traffic right way because we have lots of trucks that need to be in that area to put in sidewalk, bricks, lights and more. Locust will open to 2-way traffic no latter than Nov 13.

IF WEATHER PERMITS - we WIll pave Locust to final course next week. Temps need to be 40 degree's and rising. We are crossing our fingers and hoping for a warm day so we can make this happen. We had only required to binder course, but things are well on schedule and we hope to get some extra work done that will make things easier on all of us over the winter.

Sidewalk and Underlayment - contractor will start to pour sidewalk next week on Monday Nov 1 weather permitting.

Tree and Tree Grates - We are hopeful that we will be able to install tree's and tree grates yet as well. This will make the brick installation work much easier.

Bricks - not scheduled yet, but we should see brick work soon after the sidewalk and underlayment are in.

As a reminder - utility poles will remain in place over the winter and utility companies will coordinate crossovers with customers. When the weather breaks in the spring we will remove the poles, pour final concrete, lay bricks, install street furniture and final landscape materials.

As always, if you have any questions plese contact City of DeKalb Engineer Joel Maur at 815-748-2000 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

Have a great Halloween Weekend!

Removals, Curbs, and Conduit

2010-10-22T10:00:00.001-07:00

Its been another messy week (common message we know), but once again weather has been great and we have made really good progress (again common message,but its a good one to have).

Here is what to expect for the next week on Locust:

General Notes:
Saturday work will continue through Nov 13. Work will begin at 7a.m. and end around 3p.m. each Saturday. Alley entrances on Locust will be blocked because we are or have poured curbs and they need to cure. NO parking is allowed on Locust for the most part at this time. If you are having trouble with access to your building please contact us ASAP.

Excavation:
Excavation will take place from 3rd to 4th Friday. This was going to be spread out a bit, but due to rain forecast we moved bumped it up to get it completed. Stone will be poured right behind the excavation, but driveways and alleys will blocked at times. We do have a flagger on site to help cars around the intersection of 3rd and Locust.

Curb Pouring:
Curb is in between 1st to 3rd as of today. More curb will be poured later next week for the 3rd to 4th section once underground conduit is in. The curb work requires the closure of some alley entrances on Locust, but all parking lots can be accessed from 2nd and 3rd.

Conduit:
Conduit is in from 1st to 3rd and work will continue towards 4th. As a reminder the conduit on the north side is very close to doorways as opposed to the south side that was closer to the traffic lane. This is causing disruption for business entrances and we appreciate everyone's cooperation with alternate entrances and planked entrances. If you are having an issue with access PLEASE contact us and we will address it as quickly as we can.

Under drain:
Crews will be starting work on under drains in the 1st and Locust block early next week and will follow east towards 4th behind the crews.

Sidewalks:
Sidewalk and underlayment might begin to be poured at the end of next week starting at 1st St. Again they will work east. Brick layers will be lined up to work once there most block are complete so they have a good area to work in.

As always if you have any questions please contact Joel Maur, City Engineer, at 815-748-2000 or Jennifer Groce, Re:New DeKalb, at 815-748-7788

Many Hands in One Cookie Jar

2010-10-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

We have a TON of work going on Locust on the north and south side. There have been 3 crews including removals, utility burial and brick layers all working at once this week. This is causing some some traffic delays at times when things get bottled up. We are working with the contractor to expedite things and keep the road open and traffic moving at all times.

As we all know far to well by now, removal are messy and cause a good deal of disruption. Some would say removals are the worst part of construction. The contractors has removed all sidewalk and road on the north side all at once for the final phase of the project because the utility conduit is closer to the buildings on the north side. On the south side it was in the street so the sidewalks could stay in tact longer.

The good news is that we will finish up the last of the removals today on the north side of Locust. Then we are all done wtih removals for good! As in, this is the last of all removals for the entire public improvements project!!!

Here is what is next for the project for the next week:

North side of Locust:

- Finish removal today
- Complete underground utility work - right now you will see the trench coming down the street in front of the buildings. This is new utility conduit. At times front entrances will be blocked but this should only be minimal, but we have provided signs and contractor is making gravel paths. Concrete work could begin as early as next week...keep fingers crossed for good weather.
- Small sanitary project between 1st - 2nd
- Grade
- Electrical work

South side of Locust:

- Bricks are being installed starting at 1st. All brick work on the south side should be done by the end of this week.

That will likely be all the work that you will see on the south side until next Spring.

Lincoln Highway
- Pass thru gate and handrail were installed on Wednesday!

Lincoln is now 99% complete!

As always if you have questions or concerns please contact Joel Maur, Engineer for the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000 or Jennifer Groce at the Re:New DeKalb office at 815-748-7788.

Northside Here We Come!

2010-10-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Big news!!! Construction is heading to the north side of Locust Street starting on Friday, October 8. This means traffic control will change and vehicles will now be able to enter from N. First and head eastbound on Locust.

Here is an overview of all that is happening on the south and north side:

South Side

Thursday and Friday will be busy days for installation. The final portion of sidewalk and underlayment near 4th street will be installed. Tree's, planters and lighting will also be installed starting on Thursday and bricks will begin to be installed on Friday. Brick installation and other sidewalk work will continue through next week.

The south side will be open now to eastbound traffic, but there will be almost no parking at this time on Locust due to the work on the sidewalk and on the north side.

The lights from 1st to 2nd will not be lit until the work on the north side is complete.

Please remember that the utility poles will remain until next spring. Utility companies will arrange for the cross over connections with businesses and residents over the winter. Sections of sidewalk have not been poured adjacent to the existing light poles. Those sections will be filled with stone for the winter and paved once poles are removed in the spring.

North side:

Demolition will begin on Friday following the traffic control change over. Work will begin at the west end at 1st and Locust and move east. All sidewalk and roadway pavement will be removed at once. The contractor will continue working on Saturdays. At times roads and driveways will be blocked while they are removing pavement, but this should only be spot closures from time to time.

If there are any questions please contact Joel Maur, City Engineer at 815-748-2000 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

BIG Plans for Saturday...includes road closures after-all

2010-10-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

We received notification that a changes has been made to the paving schedule and procedures for the south side of Locust. The contractor will now be paving the south side of Locust St from 4th to 1st this Saturday, October 2 starting at 6a.m. The contractor had hoped to be able to pave 2nd St, 3rd St, and various entrances along Locust half at a time, but due to uncontrollable circumstances they now have to pave all in one day. This will result in a temporary closure of the entrances to 2nd, 3rd, PNC, NB&T and all other drives on the south side of Locust between 1st and 4th Street this Saturday starting at 6a.m. Each road/entrance will be opened as the paving is complete.

Alternate entrances have been arranged for both bank drive thrus and signage will be posted at either ends of Locust between 1st and 4th directing traffic to an alternate entrance to 2nd St. 3rd St. will remain open from Lincoln Highway, but will exit at Palmer Court. A flagger will be placed on 3rd St to assist with traffic.

Paving to leveling binder for the driving lane will be completed on Saturday. Parking lanes will be paved on Monday, but will not result in closures. Contractor will also continue to pour sidewalk and underlayment all along the south side. Light poles will also start to be installed next week.

Roadway work will be complete on the south side of Locust as of Friday, Oct 8 and move to the north side starting on Monday, October 11. The traffic control plan will reverse and all traffic will now enter Locust from 1st Street. There will be no parking on most of Locust at that time due to continued work.

Where Did September Go?

2010-09-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Where did September go?
Wow this month has flown by, but we have continued to make great progress. The underground conduit is now all in on the south side of Locust and we are preparing to lay binder course. We will be preparing to move the north side very soon.

Here is what things are shaping up to look like this week on Locust St:

This week they will finish pouring the concrete curb and start laying down the binder level of blacktop. Please note the intersections of 2nd and 3rd as well as drive's at NB&T and PNC Bank will all be done 1/2 at a time to allow for continuous access to these drives. There are a few other drives along this stretch that are too narrow to allow for a 1/2 and 1/2 pour or have alternate entrances(in the case of the Van Buer Plaza). These drive pours will be coordinated with the property owner.

Up next on the south side will be pouring of the sidewalk and underlayment and the installation of planter walls and other materials. As a reminder - the utility poles WILL NOT BE REMOVED until next spring. ComEd, Verizon and Comcast will be working over the winter to pull new cables through the conduit that has been installed and will work with each customer to arrange the switch over’s. Poles will be removed once the weather breaks in the spring. This means that there will be section of sidewalk that cannot be poured because the poles need to remain. We will fill these sections with gravel to allow for continuous passage over the winter.

The goal is to have Locust open for 2 way traffic just in time for the downtown Hollyday open house!

Here is where things stand on Lincoln Highway:

Contractor is installing crosswalks this week at intersection of 1st, 2nd and 3rd. No road closure will occur. Last bit of work to be completed is the installation of the materials in the Pedestrian Pass Thru including benches, handrail, and gates.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact The City of Dekalb Engineering Department at 815-748-2000 or Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

Two more things

2010-09-09T12:13:00.001-07:00

First, we forgot to mention that contractors are working on installing the thermoplast cross walks at the intersections of 2nd and 3rd on all 4 sides. This week they are grinding out the old cross walk paint. Next week they will begin stamping in the thermo plast. No road closures will be needed at 2nd, 3rd or on Lincoln. They will do half a section at a time on 2nd and 3rd. Then on Lincoln they will do the outer lanes and center lanes to keep traffic flowing.

Second, we were just informed that the contractors will be trenching across 3rd St tommorrow (Friday, Sept 10) in the morning. Traffic will be diverted from 3rd to Palmer. Work will be done by 11 a.m.

update as of September 9, 2010

2010-09-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Things got even messier this week, but we have made great progress as well. A couple of entrances along E. Locust were blocked for a few hours here and there. Appologies for the lack of advance notification. Hopefully the communication gliche has been fixed. As we have noted in the past, there will be spot closures from time to time to allow for the removal of road and sidewalk and longer closures once the concrete has been poured to allow for drying. Those closures should be coordinated with business owners. Random spot closures may occur from time to time to allow equipment to be moved and so on.

Please note starting on Saturday, September 18 the construction work will take place 6-days a week including Saturdays.

Here is a look at where things stand into next week:

Locust Street:

1st to 2nd - sidewalk/road removal is complete in this area. Stone will be put in and other grading work. Next week they will be framing and pouring curbs!

2nd - 3rd - Utility work is still underway in this block. Some excavation work got underway today, but more utility work to be done in this block.

3rd- 4th - removal of sidewalk and road is underway.

Lincoln Highway:

Lights should be complete this week. Landscaping will be coming on Monday, September 13, 2010. Benches should be next week as well. Last portion is the fence and handrail in the pass thru.

If you have questions please call Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

Let there be Lights...on Lincoln

2010-09-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

More progress on Lincoln and Locust. Here is an update of where things stand as of Friday, September 3, 2010:

Lincoln Highway

The final lighting elements arrived for the lighting fixtures on Lincoln Highway and are currently being installed. Most of the lighting should be compelted by the middle of next week. Lights are installed in the pedestrian pass thru. Street furnishings and landscaping is still to come, but will be done by the end of September.

Locust Street

1st to 2nd
Conduit is on on south side and road/sidewalk has been removed. Grading work will begin next week.

2nd to 3rd.
Conduit work has begun. Road removal is not completed yet. A large utility cabinet needs to be installed between the entrance to the Van Buer Plaza and the drive for NB&T. This will require brick removal and disruption of a landscape bed, but all materials will be replaced upon completion of the work.

3rd to 4th
Road removal is nearly done. Tuesday Sept 7 the contractors will remove the remaining road and sidewalk from PNC Bank drive thru to 4th St. Bank drive will be removed one half at a time to alow for access at all times. Utility work will follow on Wed.

If you have any questions please call the City of DeKalb Engineering Dept at 815-748-2000 Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

Weekly Update for Week of August 23, 2010

2010-08-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

Locust and Lincoln Highway Streetscape Update:

Lincoln Highway:

Remaining work on Lincoln Highway includes lighting, landscaping and crosswalks, Lighting is estimated to arrive later this week and the installation should be complete in 2 weeks. Landscaping will be installed in September in the planter beds. Crosswalk application will likely start the week of August 30, 2010

Pedestrian Pass Thru:

The pedestrian pass thru is open, but all aspects are not completed. Under drains, underlayment, and bricks are in and temporary lighting is in place. Still to come are benches, lighting, handrail and gates. All work is anticipated to be done by final completion deadline of October 15, 2010

Locust Street:

Alliance Construction, the City of DeKalb’s general contractor on Lincoln and Locust has moved all work over to Locust St. at the time. Things are very busy underground during this phase of the project. Alliance is working on the south side of Locust Street from 1st to 4th at this time. They have removed only the portion of the road and sidewalk that is needed for utility contractor to install underground conduit. Utility company conduit work has been focused at 1st and Locust, but should begin moving faster down Locust now that the main ComEd conduit is across 1st Street. Alliance will follow behind the utility company to remove the rest of the road and sidewalk on the south side of Locust late this week and then begin surface work. No word yet on when work will move to the north side. Conduit work is slow going, but we are on schedule at this point and time. As a reminder contractor is required to have Locust open by November 20, 2010.

Going Underground

2010-08-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Work has gone underground on Locust Street:

Our contractor has removed only the portion of the road and sidewalk so far that is needed to allow the utility contractor to put in the conduit. Utility contractor started at 1rst and Locust and is heading east towards 4th. Conractor will be back on the scene in about a week following behind the utility company to remove the rest of the road and sidewalk on the south side of Locust. No word yet on when work will move to the norht side. This work is slow going. Crew is currently pushing conduit underground. You may not see a lot going on...but things are busy underground right now.

Lincoln Highway Update:

The pedestrian pass thru is open, but final touches are not in just yet. Lighting for Lincoln is starting to arrive. Expect to see crews on Lincoln in the next weeks installing new light poles on north side and installing the last of the street furniture. Special crosswalk treatment will be installed on Lincoln following Aug 26.

If you have questions please contact Jennifer Groce at ReNew DeKalb by calling 815-748-7788 or send an email to jennifer@renewdekalb.com

Pass Thru Is Open

2010-08-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Pass Thru Open
After a few years of planning and many discussion the pedestrian pass thru is OPEN. All the final details are not complete, but the bricks are in and temporary lighting is up. Still to come are benches, lighting, handrail and gates. Eventually there is also artwork that is planned to be installed, but that will most likely not be for some time.

Lincoln Hwy Update:
We are still waiting on lights and street furniture. This is all expected to be here at the end of August. We also need to install a special cross walk overlay on Lincoln, but there is a backorder on thermoplast so this will also likely be late August or early September. We will coordinate this installation around major events including NIU move-in, Cornfest, Huskies SEE DeKalb, Middlewest Fest and of course much anticiapted football games!

Locust Street Update
Due to the rain removals went slower last week and the weather does not look great for the first part of this week. The plan is to finish all removals today and have utilitiy companies on site for the start of conduit installation. We will keep you updated pending weather. Removals include the intersection of 2nd and 3rd as well as bank entrances and the Van Buer Plaza. The construciton company is trying to do removals in those areas first thing in the morning and have gravel back in place by 9or 10a.m. to allow traffic to move normally during business hours. Again weather is slowing this down a bit, but they are doing the best they can.

As always, please email or call Jennifer Groce at RNDK with any questions or concerns at 815-748-7788 or jennifer@renewdekalb.com

Have a great week!

Pass Thru Progress

2010-08-03T06:58:00.001-07:00

Come rain, thunder, or really BIG thunder...the pass thru is being bricked today!

Part II: LOCUST ST.

2010-07-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

It is official! Construction has moved to Locust Street. All 6 phases of Lincoln Highway were completed ahead of schedule...yahoooo! Only a small amount of ornamental work remains on Lincoln Highway. We are also happy to report that the Pedestrian Pass thru is well underway. Work on Locust will continue through mid-November of 2010 and then pause for the holidays. Work will resume when the weather breaks in the spring of 2011 and should be completed by June.

Here is an overview of where we are on Lincoln and what to expect on Locust Street:

Lincoln Highway
The only work that remains is lighting, landscaping and cross walks, The installation of lighting should be in place by late August. Landscaping will be installed this fall and cross walk application will take place in late August or September.

Pedestrian Pass Thru
The foundation has been poured and bricks will be installed over the next week. Lighting, railings, and street furniture will follow.

Locust Street
Locust Street work will start on the south side from 1st to 4th and then move to the north side. Work got underway this week with the installation of a utility cabinet at 1st and Locust. Next week there will be lots of saw cutting and then removals. This is can be loud and dusty at times, but should go quickly. Work will then focust on installing utility conduit. At this point and time we do not know when work will move to the south side. A detour is in place for east bound traffic to th street. Additional signage has been installed on 1st street to direct vehicles to parking and 2nd Street.

As always, if you have any questions please contact Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788 or the City of DeKalb Engineering Department at 815-748-2000.

NICOR is on Locust...no streetscape work yet!

2010-07-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

The current work on Locust Street is NOT part of the planned utility burial and streetscape project planned to start next week.

According to the City of DeKalb, NICOR realized they need to make some repairs and adjustments between 2nd and 3rd to a gas line on Locust and felt it necessary to do in advance of utility burial construction planned to start July 26. NICOR is managing this construction and all traffic control associated with it. Our contractor for Lincoln and Locust, Alliance is not part of the NICOR work.

As part of the streetscape contract work, Alliance cannot begin construction until Lincoln Highway is complete (with the exception of the north side of Lincoln between 3rd and 4th St. and the Pass thru).

A road closure and detour is in place at this time for traffic heading west bound from 3rd to 2nd. Work is anticipated to be completed next week on Monday 7/26 or Tues 7/27.

Due to this work, the start of significant work on Locust will be delayed. Minor saw cutting and some traffic control will go up early next week, but major road removals are not anticipated to take place at this time until late next week or the first part of Aug.

Follow the red brick sidewalks

2010-07-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Main events this week were brick, bricks and more bricks. Construction work also moved into the last block to be completed on Lincoln Highway this week. Work began in block 6 (3rd to 4th on the north side of Lincoln Hwy) with sidwalk removal. Light pole painting took place and the intersectiosn of 1rst, 2nd and 3rd. And last but, not least RNDK hosted an informational Locust St.pre-construction meeting today. Work is scheduled to start on Locust St. as of July 26, 2010

Here is a block by block run down of where things stand on and what to expect over the next week or so.

Block 1 (1st to 2nd on south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Completed expect for street furniture and final plantings.
Bike racks and street furniture to be installed over the next week.
Landscaping to come later in the fall.

Block 2 (2nd to 3rd on south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Completed expect for street furniture and final plantings.
Bike racks and street furniture to be installed over the next week.
Lanscaping to come later in the fall.

Block 3 (3rd to 4th on south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Completed expect for installation of light poles, street furniture, and final plantings. Bike racks and street furniture to be installed over the next week following bricks. Light poles expected in mid-August.Temporay lighting will be installed.Landscaping to come later in the fall.

Block 4 (1st to 2nd on north side of Lincoln Hwy)
Bricks nearly finished. Bike racks and street furniture to be installed over the next week.Light poles expected in mid-August.Temporay lighting will be installed.Landscaping to come later in the fall.

Block 5 (2nd to 3rd on north side of Lincoln Hwy)
Bricks are underway. Bike racks and street furniture to be installed over the next week. Light poles expected in mid-August. Temporay lighting will be installed.Landscaping to come later in the fall.

Block 6 (3rd to 4th on north side of Lincoln Hwy)
Work will continue in this block for the next 2 weeks. Currently working on installing conduit for utilities. Next will come light bases, followed by concrete sidewalk and underlayment work.

Pedestrian Pass Thru
Final subgrade wall treament to take place early next week followed by grading and electrical work. Brick work to come soon.

Locust Street
Work will begin on Locust Street as of July 26. Work will begin on the south side of Locust from 1rst to 4th St. One lane of traffic will be open at all times. Open traffic lane will be the northside of Locust heading west bound. 2nd and 3rd St. access will be open as well as all parking lots. Parking will be limited on Locust.
More information to come on Locust next week!

Looking to Locust....soon

2010-07-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

The next 2 weeks will be very busy with all hands on deck. Things are progressing very well on Lincoln and we are making plans to head to Locust St. soon. We are hosting a special Locust Street preconstruciton meeting this week Friday, July 16 at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall in City Council Chambers. All business owners in the Locust Street area should attend!!! We will be discussing a possible improvement to the schedule.

Here is the block by block update for the week of July 12, 2010 - please note all plans are subject to weather.

Block 1 (1st to 2nd on south side of Lincoln Hwy)
As of 10a.m. this morning all bricks are in. All we are waiting on is the return of the landscape furniture and final plantings in the landscape beds!

Block 2 (2nd to 3rd on the south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Brick work is nearly complete and will be done by this afternoon. So the same goes for block 1 - all we are waiting on is the return of the landscape furniture and final plantings in the landscape beds!

Block 3 (3rd to 4th on the south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Tree grates will be in today or Tuesday. Brick work will be done immediatntly following.

Block 4 (1st to 2nd on the north side of Lincoln Hwy)
Planters and bricks will be completed this week.

Block 5 (2nd to 3rd on the north side of Lincoln Hwy)
Pouring the final underlayment today. Brick work has already begun. Planters and bricks will be completed this week. Please note that some minor electrical work will take place in 3rd St. intersection this week. The road will always be open and accessible to vehicles.

Block 6
Sidewalk removal was to take place today, but work is held off due to a material delay. Removals will take place Tuesday followed by underground work.

Pedestrian Pass Thru (located in Block 5)
Subgrade treatment to take place this week followed by installation of the fill. Perhaps we will see bricks next week sometime.

Light Pole Painting
Contractors will be painting all the light poles in the intersections 1st to 4th on Lincoln Highway.

Lemon's to Lemonade

2010-07-06T07:46:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of making something good out of a difficult situation, the business owners from 1st to 3rd on the north side of Lincoln Highway are hosting a "Lemon's to Lemonade" block part in Palmer Court this Saturday July 10 from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. There will be all kinds of fun for the kids and back entrances will accessible. Way to go Vickie and company!!!

Here is the block by block update for the week of July 5, 2010 - please note all plans are subject to weather and we have a few thunderstorms being called for this week.

Block 1 (1st to 2nd on south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Precast planters are being installed today (Tuesday). We are hoping to see the final brick work completed by the end of the week.

Block 2 (2nd to 3rd on the south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Precast is complete. Again, hoping to see brick work this week to complete this block.

Block 3 (3rd to 4th on the south side of Lincoln Hwy)
Lights went up last week and bricks are almost complete. We are just waiting on the last 3 tree grates to arrive. Hopefully they will get here this week and the brick work can be completed.

Block 4 (1st to 2nd on the north side of Lincoln Hwy)
First half of the sidewalk was poured on Friday. The underlayment (outer portion where bricks will go) will be poured today (weather pending). As a reminder this block will mimic the block across the street with brick layout. Bump outs at the corners of each block will match the layout across the street. Weather pending, brick work will begin later this week.

Block 5 (2nd to 3rd on the north side of Lincoln Hwy)
Conduit work will take place and light bases will be poured. There are several tree bases in this block to be dug as well. There is a slight chance that sidewalk could be poured from building face to center this Friday. We will keep everyone informed when the pour date is confirmed.

Pedestrian Pass Thru (located in Block 5)
Graffiti coat and subgrade sealer being applied to the walls this week. Next week the fill and grade work will begin.

Wow....

2010-07-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Block 5 to Begin Tuesday June 29

2010-06-28T09:58:00.001-07:00

Wow are we moving fast now! We are set to start demolition work in Block 5 (2nd - 3rd Street on north side) on Tuesday June 29.

Here is a block by block update for the week of June 28, 2010

Block 1 (1st to 2nd on south side)
All storefronts were cleaned in this block this morning. All that remains is the installation of the precast planter's, installation of benches, and minor landscaping. The precast planters will be installed this week followed by minor brick work around each planter. This work should be completed by Friday June 2.Some parking may be lost in this block while work is going on.

Block 2 (2nd to 3rd on south side)
All store fronts were cleaned in this block this morning. Just like block 1, all that remains is the installation of the precast planter's, installation of benches, and minor landscaping. The precast planters will be installed this week followed by minor brick work around each planter. This work should be completed by Friday June 2 Some parking may be lost in this block while work is going on.

Block 3 (3rd to 4th on south side)
Tree grates, landscape beds and bricks should all be done this week. We may still be dealing with temporary lighting for the rest of this week, but lights are due to arrive very soon. Spot closures of parking will occur from time to time while work is taking place.

Block 4 (1st to 2nd on the north side)
This week they will complete underground work and pour bases for the lights poles and possibly begin to pour the sidewalk and underlayment. Official notices will be given to all businesses to confirm the sidewalk pour date. No parking and a lane closure will be set up for this block.

Block 5 (2nd to 3rd on the north side)
Demolition of sidewalk to begin on Tuesday June 29! As a reminder the demolition work is loud and messy at times, but should only last for a day to day and a half. Site grading and underground work will follow. The lighting removal in this block will impact the lighting on N. 3rd and in Palmer Ct. Temporary lighting will be installed in those areas. No parking and a lane closure will be set up for this block.

Pedestrian Pass Thur (located in Block 5)
Surface prepartions will begin on Tuesday June 29.

Time to Cross the Road...almost 1/2 way there.

2010-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

We are preparing to move into Block 4 (1st to 2nd on the north side of Lincoln Hwy) tomorrow, Thursday, June 24, 2010. Here is what to expect as we work to move the construction across the road:

***PARKING LIMITATIONS***
Parking will be limited on Lincoln Highway on Thursday and Friday of this week from
1st to 4th Street on both the north and south side of Lincoln Highway from 7a.m.to 4p.m. daily.

South side:
Parking and traffic lane on the south side will open up next week once work is complete in block 3. Due to traffic control safety needs the full lane is required to be closed from 1st to 4th. Parking IS ALLOWED in block 1 since all work is done in this area. Park will not be allowed in block 2 and 3 while they are finishing the installation of bricks and light poles.

North side:
Parking and traffic lane will be closed from 1st to 3rd daily from 7a.m. to 4p.m.

***BLOCK BY BLOCK*** Here is what work to expect:

Block 1 - 1st to 2nd on the south side of Lincoln Highway
Wednesday, June 23 light repairs and final electrical work. There will be a lane closure up the rest of the week going from 1st to 4th due to the work in block 2 and block 3. Parking is open in Block 1. Late next week 6/28 planter bed walls will be installed and final brick work may be installed. This is minor work.

Block 2 - 2nd to 3rd on the south side of Lincoln Highway
Thursday/Friday, June 24 & 25 install light poles. Please note their will be one temporary pole in the middel of the block. We are waiting for the rest of the lights to come in so we will be using temporary poles in various places. Just know the one odd pole is not permenant. Also, late next week 6/28 planter bed walls will be installed and final brick work may be installed. This is minor work.

Block 3 - 3rd to 4th on the south side of Lincoln Highway

Thursday, June 24 - pour remaining concrete at each corner.

Friday, June 25 - install tree's, landscape fill and pull wire and complete electrical underground work.

First part of the week of June 28 - install bricks.Please note there will be a small section west of Munson insurance to the Cash Store that will not be bricked for a short time as we wait for additional materials to arrive

Last part of the week of June 28 lighting. Please note that we will be installing temporary lighting in Block 3 until the final lighting arrives.

Also late next week planter bed walls will be installed and final brick work may be installed. This is minor work.

Block 4 - 1st to 2nd on the north sidew of Lincoln Highway

Thursday, June 24 - removal of sidewalk - fence goes up!!!

Friday, June 25 - installation of underdrains

Week of 6/28 - installation of conduit and utility.

1 Down 5 to Go...time to head to the North side!

2010-06-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

Gotta take a moment and CELEBRATE - Block 1 is done (for the most part)!!!
That is right, underground work is complete, sidewalk is in,lighting is up and on, trees are in and bricks were complete as of 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The only thing remaining is the landscape beds...those will still be a few weeks for fabrication and putting the benches and garbage cans back in. Take a stroll down the block and get a feel for what the improvements look like. More good news - block 2 is almost done as well.

Ok on to next weeks schedule.

Block 2 (2nd - 3rd on the south side)
It is pretty much just down to bricks and lighting for this block.
We will brick today, Monday and maybe Tuesday.
Light poles will be installed early next week.
This block will be done all except landscape beds and furniture by the end of next week!

Block 3 (3rd to 4th on the south side)
Monday we will do removals in the RXR right of way area from just past Munson Insurance to tracks. We are also pouring concrete on Monday from 3rd to Munson Insurance. Monday all doors between 3rd and Munson Insurance will not be accessible until Noon while we pour the sidewalk from building face to center. Tuesday we will pour the underlayment...out side area from curb to about 4ftover. After this fence will be gone! We might see bricks towards the end of the week.

Block 4 (1st to 2nd on the north side)
Monday is the start of work on the North side of Lincoln between 1st and 2nd. Expect removals to start on Monday or Tuesday. As a reminder the first day of removals is loud and messy. Doorways are accessible but signs directing pedestrians to the alley for those with alternate entrances will be up. Expect to see the fencing go up on Monday or Tuesday. Following removals we will be doing underground work and getting ready to pour light bases.

Block 4 and 5 business are planning a Lemons to Lemonaide block party the weekend of July 10 in the back in Palmer to celebrate construciton. Should be construciton in both blocks.

Pedestrian Pass thru -
Work will begin in the pass thru early next week. They will be coating the walls with a special sealer first and then intalling geofoam. More to come on this area.

All and all the project is going very well!!! As always if you have any quesitons please contact Mike Bauling at the City of DeKalb at 817-748-2000 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

Lights, Bricks and Tree's Oh My!!!

2010-06-11T09:47:00.001-07:00

Another great weather week resulting in lots of progress!

Here is where we are at block by block for the next week:

S. 1st - 2nd on ELHWY-
Friday 6/11 - lights are being installed and will be lit by Monday.
Monday 6/14 - bricks will begin to be installed starting at the corner of S. 2nd.
Tuesday 6/15 - trees will be installed and bricks should get completed.

All that will remain in this block will be the installation of the precast planters and the remaining landscaping. We will also need to put the benches and garbage cans back in. But all and all, after Tuesday things will be just about done!!!

S. 2nd - 3rd on ELHWY -

Friday 6/11 - begin installing lights
Monday 6/14 - complete lights and pull wires
Wednesday 6/15 - possibly begin brick work

S. 3rd - 4th on ELHWY -

Friday 6/11 - installation of conduit and under drains
Monday 6/14 - more underground work
The rest of the week - dig and pour light bases and then early next week get ready to pour sidewalk and underlayment.

Speedy, speedy, speedy!!!

2010-06-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

It has been another busy week in Downtown DeKalb. Lots has happened this week,but lots more is planned for next week. Please read through the following overview to see what to expect for the week of June 6. Please note that work is moving into the 3rd to 4th block next week.

1st - 2nd Street
All concrete sidewalk and underlayment has been poured. There is a section by the DeKalb Chamber and Lord Stanley's that is still gravel. Because of a vault underneath no concrete will be poured in that area and it will remain that way until the bricks arrive.

Work to still be done from 1st to 2nd includes pulling wires, planting tree's, installing precast planter beds, and laying bricks.

During the week of June 6 they will likely pull wires and possibly plant trees. Planters and bricks will be soon.

2nd - 3rd
All demo is done. Conduit for electrical and fiber optic should be completed by Monday if not today. Monday, June 7 contractors will finish any conduit work needed and frame up for the new sidewalk. Tuesday, June 8 contractor will be pouring all of the sidewalk and underlayment at the corners from the buidling face to 5ft over from 2nd to 3rd. All businesses will have alternate entrances from 6a.m. to Noon for customers...look for signage. Ramps will be installed over the gaps at Noon and a special pedestrian path will be created. Then on Wednesday, June 9 the remaining underlayment to the curb will be poured. Pedestrians will be able to walk down the 5ft wide section that was poured on Tuesday so access will not be affected. Contractor will then begin to pull wires and prepare to install landscaping and bricks!

3rd to 4th
As of Tuesday the contractor is able to move to this block to start removals since all the concrete and underlayment has been poured in the 1st block.

Whew!!! As you can see we are very busy, but things are moving quickly and as of right now we are completley on schedule!!

PS check out Lincoln Inn's innovative construction specials for customers. Print out the coupon and get a free loaf of bread during construction and double reward points. Yummy idea!!!

As always if you have any questions please contact Mike Bauling at 815-748-2333 or Jennifer Groce at 815-748-7788.

Getting on firmer ground

2010-05-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

The south side of Lincoln between 1st and 2nd is getting on firmer ground as the first part of the sidewalk was poured today. The regular portion of the sidewalk that goes from the building face to the middle was poured this morning. The next portion is the "underlayment" portion that will be the concrete base for the bricked areas on top. So anywere you don't see sidewalk today will have bricks very soon. Next week we will pour the underlayment concrete base.

The 2nd to 3rd Street section has all the removals complete. Today, some water line work is being done infront of Chilton's as well as work on the light bases this afternoon throughout the block. Next week the contractor will be putting in the conduit and doing electrical work (this includes DeKalb Fiber Optic work). Hope to see them start pouring sidwalk in this area by the end of next week.

This Monday is the Memorial Day parade. Contractor will make all areas as neat as possible to accomodate parade watchers and customers!!!

As always - if you have any questions please contact Mike Bauling at 815-748-2333 or Jennifer Groce at 815-748-7788.

Moving on down the road

2010-05-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Construction is moving to S. 2nd - S.3rd block on Lincoln Highway as of tomorrow Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Work will include lighting and sidewalk removal. Expect fencing and no on street parking in this block. Sidewalk removal should take about a day to a day and a half. All lighting will be out on the south side of Lincoln Highway from 1st to 4th Street.

Construction is moving very quickly in the S. 1st to S. 2nd block. They will be installing conduit starting on Wednesday May, 26 and all backfill should be in by Friday May 27. Fence should be down by Friday, May 27, 2010....maybe sooner. Sidewalk and underlayment will be poured following Memorial Day.

Finding Your Way

2010-05-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ready, Set, We Are Going

2010-05-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Things really got rolling yesterday and today in the first block of construction. Fence went up and the sidewalk quickly went out! The realities of construction are here. Alternate entrance signage goes up today as well as the "all businesses are open during construction" signage. Other directionaly signage will be up soon. If you have an alternate entrance, please make sure to clearly mark your alternate doors with signage saying "enter here for ABC Company" so customers know where to find you.

Here is an update for the next week or so on block 1 and block 2.

ELHWY 1st to 2nd
Sidewalk removals 5/19 – 5/21
Pipes and under drain 5/24 – 5/25
Pour light bases 5/26 – 5/28
Begin to pour sidewalk and underlayment for bricks 6/1 – Fence removed

ELHWY 2nd – 3rd
Sidewalk removals 5/26 – 5/28 - Fence to go up

For questions or concerns please contact Mike Bauling at 815-748-2333 or Jennifer Groce at 815-748-7788.

Tomorrow's The Big Day

2010-05-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

The FINAL phase of the 1rst to 4th Street Public Improvements construction will officially begin tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18, 2010. Work on Lincoln Highway will take place in phases throughout the summer with all work anticpated to be complete by August 14, 2010...just in time to welcome back our NIU students! Work on Lincoln Highway will be focused on the sidewalks. The block between 1rst and 2nd Street on the south side of Lincoln Highway will be the first block under construction and will move down the south side and then back to the north side starting at 1rst St. Work on the pedestrian pass through will take place through out the summer. Once work is completed on Lincoln Highway, work will move over to Locust Street.

UPDATE: Construction Set to Go Next Week Afterall!!

2010-05-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

RNDK recieved word today at 2:30p.m. that construction was back on schedule for next week starting on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. Contractors will be on site starting on Tuesday removing benches and garbage cans in the first phase of the project (south side of Lincoln Highway between 1rst and 2nd St.). Wednesday- Friday's work will include sidewalk removal in the same area. ALL BUSINESS WILL BE ACCESSIBLE and all Parking lots are open. Parking will not be available on the south side of Lincoln between 1rst and 2nd St. If you have any additional questions please contact Mike Bauling at the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000.

Construction on Lincoln Now to Begin May 24, 2010

2010-05-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Re:New DeKalb was informed today that construction on Lincoln Highway will not start until Monday May 24, 2010. Construction had been planned to start on Monday, May 17. The Lincoln Highway project is still anticipated to be completed by August 14, 2010 at this time. Some removal work may begin to take place next week and work could begin at the end of the week, but likely the main work will begin on May 24. If you have additional questions please contact Mike Bauling at the City of DeKalb at 815-748-2000

Work to begin May 17th, 2010

2010-04-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

The City of DeKalb is preparing for the final phase of the Downtown Streetscape Construction Project. As always communication will be a critical element for this final phase that involves improvements on Lincoln Highway and Locust Street Re:New DeKalb is committed to providing business/property owners with up to date information and assistance throughout this phase of construction. To keep business/property owners informed Re:New DeKalb will post regular updates on this blog, host regular construction meetings for business/property owners and residents, send out email notifications and coordinate with the local media to ensure the public is informed about access and encouraged to keep visiting our businesses during construction. RNDK will also coordinate with the City of DeKalb and contractors to ensure visible signage is in place notifying downtown visitors where to park and how to access the businesses. In addition to the City of DeKalb Engineering Department, the RNDK office will also serve as a point of communication for business/property owners throughout the project.

East Lincoln Highway and Locust Streetscape
General Schedule of Work

Overall project work between 1st and 4th Street:

• East Lincoln Hwy sidewalks removed and replaced between curb and storefronts, some brick at bump-outs and brick bands along curb, new street lighting, trees and planters, and updated signs and street furniture (waste cans, ash urns, benches) and fiber optic ducts. Traffic signal posts will be painted black.
• Complete pedestrian pass-through as walkway sloped between Lincoln and Palmer Court, adding brick surface, walk railings, lights, and benches at landings.
• Reconstruction of Locust Street and burying overhead utilities and replacement of curbs with bump-outs, new sidewalks and brick bump-outs and brick bands, new lighting, tree planting, street furniture, fiber optic ducts and asphalt pavement.

Estimated schedule starting Lincoln Hwy May 17 working in stages block by block:

• May 17- June 27 south side 1st-3rd sidewalk removal, install underground electrical and light bases, underdrains, fiber optic duct, sidewalk concrete underlayment, & trees
• June 20-July 10 south side 3rd -4th repeated as above and bricks for 1st-3rd
• By about July 15 all south side bricks installed and all south sidewalks fully open
• July 1-July 22 north side 1st-2nd sidewalk removal, install underground electrical and light bases, underdrains, fiber optic duct, sidewalk concrete underlayment, & trees
• July 15- August 10 north side 2nd-3rd repeated as above and bricks for 1st-2nd
• August 2-August 20 north side 3rd-4th repeated as above and bricks 2nd-4th
• By about August 20 all north side bricks installed and north sidewalks fully open

Estimated schedule starting Locust Street about August 2, mostly one side at a time:

• August 2- September 15 Locust one-way westbound while south side only pavement removal, bury utilities, construct south side curb, concrete and brick sidewalks, south pavement, and south side lighting
• September 15-November 20 Locust one-way eastbound while north side pavement removal, finish electrical and fiber utility burial, construct north side curb, concrete and brick sidewalks, north side pavement, lighting, and landscaping both sides
• Spring 2011 complete Locust surface paving and textured crosswalks

Final Phase to Begin May, 17 2010

2010-04-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

The final phase of the downtown public improvements was approved by the DeKalb City Council and will begin on May 17, 2010. A preconstruction meeting with the awarded contractor will be held on April 28, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. at the Egyptian Theatre. We will be uploading the construction phasing map that we have been discussing the last few months at R&R and final approved plans later this week. No major changes from previous meetings, but we hope downtown business/property owners and interested stakeholders will attend the April R&R. Stay tuned to the blog for regular construction updates.

Wrapping it up!!!

2009-10-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

The downtown streetscape construction on 2nd and 3rd is about to come to officially come to an end! Go ahead - cheer, clap and do a happy dance if you like!

This is one of our last construction updates of the year and we are just as happy as you are to celebrate a job well done! The construction was promised to be complete by November 21(in time for the downtown Hollydays Celebration) and we are set to finish about 3 weeks ahead of schedule! Thanks to everyone for all the hard work and cooperation. Our business owners deserve a ton of credit for their patience and can do attitude.

Have a great Halloween weekend – we look forward to seeing you all downtown trick or treating at the Halloween Spooktacular from 1-3p.m.

Here is what to expect this week:

Traffic control fencing on S. 2nd and S. 3rd is all going away!
Bricks are to be complete today!
Stamped crosswalk work will be done today on N. 2nd and N. 3rd at Locust.
All landscaping is done– except for the sod at the NIU Monat Building. If weather holds they will cut fresh sod tomorrow and install it.
Final street furnishings are going in this week on S. 2nd and S. 3rd.
Milling and patching work will be done today on S. 2nd and S 3rd.
Paving should begin tomorrow and be done by Friday......WEATHER PENDING.
All that will be left is the striping of parking stalls!

This will be a busy week once again, but it will be great to see the final completion in just a few days.
As always if you have questions please call Mike Bauling in the City Engineering Department at 815-748-2030 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

Notice IDOT Resurfacing
As a reminder the 2nd and 3rd Streetscape project does not include the resurfacing of Lincoln Highway being done by Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
The resurfacing of Lincoln Highway is being funded and coordinated by IDOT. They had some schedule delays, but have posted they will be done in November. They are working during the day due to the decreasing temperatures at night. We are hoping to see paving this week between 1st and 4th, but do not have confirmation at this time.

Spooktacular Finish in Sight for the 2nd and 3rd Streetscape Project!

2009-10-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

The end is almost here and we are very hopeful that we will see all fences removed and nearly all work completed by Halloween...just in time for the downtown Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular on Saturday, October 31 from 1-3p.m. in downtown DeKalb. Below is an overview of the 3 current projects going on in downtown DeKalb.

Here is the schedule for the next 3 weeks for 2nd and 3rd Street work:
Please note that work will be done on both the South and North sides of 2nd and 3rd over the next few weeks.

Oct 5-14 – finish pouring all concrete on S. 3rd
Oct 5-9 – finish all electrical work on S. 3rd
Oct 8-9 – install all stone planters on S. 2nd and 3rd
Oct 12 – install all plants and tree on N. 2nd, N. 3rd, S. 2nd, S. 3rd (parking lanes will be blocked at various points while trees, plants and sod are being installed).
Oct 12 – brick work begins on S. 2nd and S. 3rd
Oct 12-16 – install stamped cross walks on N. 2nd and N. 3rd (will require a temporary 1 day max street closure while cross walks are being installed).
Oct 19 – Milling and paving begins on S. 2nd and S. 3rd

Union Pacific work at RT 38 and RT 23
Work is in progress at this intersection and should be completed by Sunday, October 11, 2009. Detours will be in place until work is complete. As a reminder this work is being conducted, funded and coordinated by Union Pacific.

Illinois Department of Transportation Work on RT 38
As a reminder – the current roadway mill and resurface improvements on RT38 from 4th St. to Stadium Dr. is scheduled, funded, and implemented by IDOT – not the City of DeKalb. This project is being executed to coordinate with the additional improvements that will be made to the Streetscape on Lincoln Hwy in 2010.

Work will continue on this project through early November.

As always, if you have questions or concerns please contact Mike Bauling, City of DeKalb Engineering Dept at 815-748-2030 or Jennifer Groce, Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

Starting to see the finish line!!!

2009-10-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

The next few weeks are going to be extremely busy on S. 2nd and S. 3rd as we prepare to get things wrapped up. In addition to the streetscape project, the downtown is also experiencing IDOT and UP improvement projects.

Here is what to expect the next few weeks:

2nd and 3rd Street Project:

The rest of this week through the early part of the week of October 5 we will be finishing pouring all concrete on S. 2nd and S. 3rd as well as finishing up the electrical work on S. 3rd.
Veneers/precast planter boxes will be installed the week of October 5.
Landscaping and tree installation to follow the planter boxes and should be complete by October 12. Landscaping includes all planters on North and South 2nd and 3rd, trees and the sod in front of the Monat Building.
Milling and resurfacing will start the week of October 12 and should be wrapped up by October 23.
Bricks should be expected to start around the week of October 17.

RXR CLOSURE AT RT 38/23:

Union Pacific will be conducting a track closure starting on October 5 thru October 12 to repair 350 ft. of track.

Lincoln Highway Resurface:

IDOT continues to work on the RT 38 resurfacing. They will take advantage of the RXR closure on October 5 and finish the downtown portion of the milling during this time. There may be some daytime work due to the need for warmers temperatures for asphalt.

Here's The Latest...

2009-09-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Downtown Streetscape Project:

S. Second St.
- Finish concrete this week
- On street parking on east side returns Wednesday, Sept 22 from Glass Gardens to the RXR tracks
- Pour Eduardo’s corner between Sept 24 – Oct 2 (weather dependant)

S. Third St.
- Finish removal this week
- Underground utilities week of September 28
- Pour concrete September 24 -Oct. 2 (weather dependant)
- Electrical Work September 24 – Oct 2

N. Third St.
- Install parking signs – PLEASE NOTE CARS WILL BE TICKETED AFTER 90 MINUTES!!!
- Lay sod at NIU Monat building week of Sept 28
- Install stamped cross walks Oct 2,3

N. 2nd St.

- Install parking signs – PLEASE NOTE CARS WILL BE TICKETED AFTER 90 MINUTES!!!
- Install stamped cross walks Oct 1 or 2 (weather dependant)

RT 38 & RT 23 RXR Closure:
Track closure will begin on October 5 and work will last up to 10 days. Truck detour will be posted and local traffic will divert to N. 3 for east bound traffic on RT 38 and S. 5th for west bound traffic.
Union Pacific will be removing and repairing the an approximately 350 ft of track in this intersection.

RT 38 Resurfacing:

- IDOT laying in leveling binder this week
- Week of Sept 28 manhole adjustments
- Week of Oct 5 paving

It's all happening

2009-09-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

N. 2nd and N. 3rd Streets -
N. 2nd and N. 3rd are complete with the exception of some landscaping and sign installation.

Below is the construction update for S. 2nd and S. 3rd from Lincoln Hwy to the RXR tracks.

S. 2nd Street -
Thursday 9/17 – pouring curb
Friday 9/18 – week of 9/21 - pour sidewalk throughout area, including outdoor café at Eduardo’s

*Tentative weekly schedule going forward on S. 2nd St

Week of Sept 28 – install precast planters
Week of October 5 – landscaping & trees and possible mill and resurface of S. 2nd and S. 3rd
Week of October 19 – installation of bricks

*As noted this is a tentative schedule and is subject to changes.

S. 3rd Street –
Week of September 21 – demolition and removal of sidewalk and curb.
- S. 3rd Street will be closed from Lincoln Hwy to RXR tracks
- Alley will be closed at S. 3rd St. but is open for access at S. 2nd St.

IDOT RT 38 Resurface Work –

The mill and resurface of Rt 38 from Stadium Drive to 4th Street will continue thru the end of October. This is night work that will take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Union Pacific RXR Track Repair at RT 38 and RT 23 –
UP has informed us of a need to repair the tracks at this crossing. This will require a closure of the track for up to 2 weeks. This is tentatively planned for October 5. More information will follow soon.

IDOT Lincoln Hwy. Resurfacing

2009-09-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

As we noted in previous emails, IDOT is planning to resurface Lincoln Hwy. from Stadium Drive by NIU to 4th Street. Last year the stretch from 4th Street to Loves Rd. in Cortland was done. This will complete much needed repairs. The work includes milling (grinding) the road down and then applying new asphalt. The work started last night and will continue for a total of 4 weeks to complete the entire stretch. At this time work is being done from 6p.m. to 6a.m. No parking is allowed on the Highway at this time during the work. The road remains open, but is limited to 2 lanes. The work is starting at Stadium Drive, but they are currently doing patch work at the potholes throughout the area.

We will work to keep you up to date as we get information from IDOT, in the mean time please feel free to contact the City of DeKalb Engineering Department at 815-748-2000 with questions.

We are also hearing that Union Pacific is planning to do some work at the RT 23 and RT 38 crossing. When we have more information we will share it with you.

The Road To The Finish Line...

2009-09-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

North 2nd and 3rd Streets –
We are just about ready to wrap things up on N. 2nd and N. 3rd this week. Today the final layer of asphalt was put down and parking stripes will be painted by Friday. Once that work is done all barricades will be removed. The only remaining work will be some additional landscaping and installation of parking signage. A huge thanks to all the business owners, property owners, employees and residents who worked with us all summer long to make this a successful project. The area looks beautiful and is a great addition to the community. As a reminder – parking is still only 2 hours on 2nd Street, 3rd Street, and in the Van Buer Plaza. Employees and residents should NOT park on the street or in the 2 hour lots. Please be kind to our downtown businesses and use the 12 hour lots.

RXR Right-of-Way on South 2nd and 3rd Streets-
The RXR crossings will be closed at S. 2nd and S. 3rd on Thursday 9/10 and Friday 9/11 in accordance with Union Pacific regulations. We will be doing the streetscape work immediately adjacent to the tracks which requires a closure and flagger.

South 2nd Street-
We will continue to pour sidewalk and downs and start removing part of the fences next week.

South 3rd Street-
Aside from the RXR right-of-way work on 9/10 & 9/11 things will be quiet on S. 3rd until we get most of the work wrapped up on S. 2nd.

More Schedule Changes...& important updates!

2009-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Just as soon as we think we have gotten things nailed down for a few days (OK maybe a few hours is more realistic in the world of construction ) ...changes always happen. We don’t like schedule changes, especially when those in a specific area have been planning on certain kinds of disruption, but unfortunately they do happen from time to time. This week the milling schedule has been altered again. We are being told it should start this afternoon on N. 2nd and N. 3rd, but it may be pushed to Wednesday. This means asphalt moves and striping moves back as well. At this point we are anticipating asphalting on Friday 9/4 – Tuesday 9/8 with striping to follow.

The next few weeks are going to be rather hectic for those on S. 2nd. Work is confined to a tight space and includes getting the work done in the RXR right of way area. We will be pouring the entrance to the alley and the entrance to the Parking Lot #2. We will continue with work on lighting, but there will be spot lighting outages at times while things are getting rewired. We will continue work on pouring sidewalks and downs after the RXR right of way work is complete.

Next week both S. 2nd and S. 3rd will be closed at the RXR tracks on Tues. 9/8 and Wed.9/9 while we do the right of way improvements. Union Pacific will have a flagger allowing pedestrians to cross, but vehicular traffic not be allowed on Tues and Wed. Delivery trucks that normally access those in the alley between S. 2nd and S. 3rd should either park in Lot #2 (enter from S. First by Chesapeake Bagel), park by S. 2nd St. and hand truck items across 2nd through the alley or should enter the wrong way on S. 3rd (but will have to exit the same way) and hand truck items down the alley.

Work will not be focused on S. Third (with the exception on the RXR right of way work on Tues 9/8 and Wed. 9/9) for a few more weeks.

As always, thank you for your patience! Please feel free to call the
City of DeKalb Engineering Office at 815-748-2000 or
Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788 with questions.

Weekend Update...

2009-08-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

A few updated notes before the weekend –

N. 2nd and N. 3rd Milling and Repaving
Milling of N. 2nd and N. 3rd was postponed to Monday, August 31. No parking will be posted on N. 2nd and N. 3rd between Locust and Lincoln Hwy Monday – Wednesday for certain.

Lighting Issues
We have had some lighting issues on 2nd, 3rd and Lincoln Hwy between 1st and 2nd .
All lights should be operationally on 2nd and 3rd as of tonight. If you notice a light out please call with the location of pole. Lincoln Hwy lighting should be fixed by the end of next week.

Bricks
Brick work will be final completed on Monday, August 31 on N. 2nd and N. 3rd. All fencing will be removed at that time.

What to expect next...

2009-08-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

As we reported at this morning’s Rise and Revitalize things are going well with construction. On a side note – BIG congrats to Debutantes Cosmetology School, Upper Deck and Eye Deal Optical who all opened up last week in downtown DeKalb!

Back to business - below is an overview of upcoming work thru next week.

North 2nd and 3rd:
- Finishing up bricks on N. 3rd from Palmer to The House Café and then finishing bricks on N. 2nd next to Diamond Tour Golf.
- Mill N. 2nd and N. 3rd this Friday, August 28 (no parking on streets during work)
- Manhole prep work for paving on N. 2nd and N. 3rd Monday August 31 (no parking on streets)
- Paving and stripping on N. 2nd and N. 3rd Sept 1-2 (no parking)
- Streets completed by Thursday, September 3

South 2nd:
- Begin pouring sidewalks and underlayment
- Continue with installation of electrical & light bases
- Begin work in RXR right of way adjacent to tracks (will take place simultaneously with S. 3rd RXR work)

South 3rd:
- Begin work RXR right of way work adjacent to tracks (will take place simultaneously with S. 2nd RXR work)

RT 38 Resurfacing:
IDOT is proceeding with the resurfacing of RT 38 from Stadium Drive to 4th Street. They will begin milling the highway just after Labor Day. A good portion of the work will be at night, but some day work will occur. The entire project is expected take 6-8 weeks. So far we are anticipating that they are starting at Stadium Drive, but no final confirmation at this time.

Pedestrian Pass Thru:
The pass thru was planned to be completed in conjunction with the 2nd and 3rd Street improvements. Due to delays with the bid acceptance work will not begin until Spring of 2010. The City Council will be voting on the pass thru bid at the September 14 City Council Meeting.

Please feel free to contact the City of DeKalb Engineering Department at 815-748-2000 or Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788 with more questions.

The More The Merrier!

2009-08-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Union Pacific joined the construction crew on S. 2nd and 3rd St. this week, but should be done with track improvements as of August 17. Their work has caused road closures at the crossings on 2nd and 3rd, but at least the timing coincided with work already being done.

Now for the regular updates........hold on to your construction hats we have had a VERY busy week and the week of Aug 17 looks to be even busier! Special thanks to the businesses on S. 2nd Street who put up with a lot of disruption this week.

N. 2nd and 3rd (Lincoln to Locust)
- Final trees were placed
- Final concrete improvements made
- Precast planter curb’s will be installed starting on Friday, 14 and into the early part of the week of August 17.......just in time for the brick!
- Brick layers starting on Monday, August 17 and working thru Thursday, August 20 ....just in time for the Cornstruction sidewalk sales.

S. 2nd Street
- RXR crossing improvements started August 12 and UP is saying they will be done August 17
- Sanitary upgrades are in
- Curb on east side starting to be poured as of Friday August 14, 2009
- Electrical work started and will continue week of August 17
- Sidewalks will begin to be poured week of August 17 in certain areas

S. 3rd Street
- RXR crossing improvements started August 12 and UP is saying they will be done August 17
- Saw cutting was done this week while road closed
- Sidewalk removal work will begin on 3rd St. soon

Cornfest weekend begins Friday, August 21 and the downtown is hosting the Cornstruction Sidewalks Sales to celebrate. Shuttle busses will pick up in front of Eduardo’s for Cornfest every half hour.
NIU Move in is August 20. Celebrate Downtown will be at Huskie Bash promoting the downtown businesses. As we said, this is a very busy time, but great to see so much happening! Please feel free to call the City of DeKalb Engineering office at 815-748-2000 or RNDK with additional questions at 815-748-7788.

Here's what's happening on 2nd and 3rd

2009-08-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

South Second St.

Things really got rolling this week on S. 2nd. Most of the demolition and removals are done.

Work schedule for Week of Aug 10:
Please note work will flip back and forth as needed between the east and west sides of the street.

- underground & electrical work
- dig curbs
- pour curbs & gutter (alley driveway will come first)

South Third St.
No work is scheduled for the week of Aug 10.

North Second & Third St.
All the lighting and all but 3 trees are in. We are getting closer to completion, but some unanticipated delays did occur with the fabrication of the precast/veneer planter and curb elements. The overall schedule is not affected. Brick work is anticipated to be nearly complete by Aug 20 just in time for the Cornstruction sidewalk sales! Some fencing and/or safety barriers will still be in place in required areas on N. 2nd and 3rd over Cornfest weekend to ensure pedestrian safety.

Work Schedule for Week of Aug 10 & 17:
- Final sidewalk work near Hillside is anticipated to take place.
- Aug 14 & 15 precast planters will be installed on 2nd & 3rd
- Aug 17 – 20 bricks installation starting on N. 2nd and then move over to N. 3rd
- Aug 17 & 18 final precast curbs installed on 3rd Street

Trees, Trees & More Trees!

2009-07-27T08:57:00.001-07:00

Trees will be going in on Second and Third Streets today!

Temporary Closure

2009-07-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

North 2nd Street is temporarily closed from Palmer Ct. to Lincoln Hwy. Monday July 27 thru Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

What to expect next...

2009-07-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

Things are continuing to move along on Second and Third Streets. Work is scheduled to begin soon on South Second and Third Streets. Below is a tentative schedule of work for the next few weeks. Please note the red text indicates work on South Second and Third Streets.

Week of July 20:

N. 3rd (Lincoln Hwy to Locust)
- Finish pouring concrete

N. 2nd (Lincoln Hwy to Locust)
- Pour concrete
- Begin manhole work between Lincoln and Palmer Court on Friday, July 24
* THIS WILL INVOLVE A ROAD CLOSURE

Week of July 27:

N. 3rd (Lincoln Hwy to Locust)
- Installation of tree’s

N. 2nd (Lincoln Hwy to Locust)
- Continue manhole work between Lincoln Hwy and Palmer thru Wednesday July 30
*THIS WILL INVOLVE A ROAD CLOSURE
- Continue pouring concrete
- Installation of remaining light bases
- Installation of tree’s

S. 2nd (Lincoln Hwy to RXR tracks)
- Layout of construction plan
- Saw cutting
- Demolition of sidewalk

S. 3rd (Lincoln Hwy to RXR tracks)
- Layout of construction
- Saw cutting
*NO demolition until 2nd St. is completed

Week of August 3:

N. 3rd (Lincoln Hwy to Locust)
- Could possibly see the start of precast curb and planter installation

N. 2nd (Lincoln Hwy to Locust)
- Final pouring of concrete
- Set light poles
- Could possibly see the start of precast curb and planter installation

S. 2nd (Lincoln Hwy to RXR tracks)
- Continued demolition and removal of sidewalk
*ALLEY ENTRANCE WILL BE CLOSED STARTING ON AUGUST 3 – 24 ON S.2ND (S. 3RD ALLEY ENTRANCE WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL WORK ON 2ND IS COMPLETED)

Week of August 10:

N. 2nd and 3rd (Lincoln to Locust)
- Installation of BRICKS!!!

S. 2nd (Lincoln Hwy to RXR tracks)
- Begin to frame and pour the sidewalk and underlayment

Week of August 24:

N. 2nd and 3rd (Lincoln Hwy to Locust)
- Mill and resurface road!!!

Moving Right Along

2009-07-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Things are moving right along on 2nd and 3rd Street...
3rd Street lighting is in and the street should be parkable by the end of the week!

The remainder of this week-

3rd Street
-Patching the road
-this work could cause possible road closures
2nd Street
-Pour concrete sidewalks and underlayment all along the west side
-set lighting

Week of July 20-

3rd Street
-precast planters, etc.
-trees

2nd Street
- Manhole work will begin next to Diamond Tour as soon as concrete work is complete on the west side.
*This will require a Road Closure from just south of Palmer Court to Lincoln Hwy. Traffic can still come down 2nd Street, but will have to turn at Palmer Court. Palmer Court will be open to Third Street or the Van Buer Plaza.
-precast planters, etc.
-trees

Concrete is a treat!

2009-07-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Things are really coming together on the sidewalks and underlayment. Soon enough the gravel pathways will be a thing of the past.
Here is what you can tentatively expect the next week or so –

The remainder of this week -
3rd Street
- Concrete will start being poured on Wednesday at the NIU Monat building and then continue to the rest of the remaining areas

2nd Street
- Installing light bases
- Pouring more concrete sidewalks and underlayment Friday

Week of July 13 –
3rd Street –
- Set lights and pull wire
2nd Street –
- Pour concrete sidewalks and underlayment all along the west side

Week of July 20 -
3rd Street –
- Possibly start patching the road
2nd Street –
- Manhole work will begin next to Diamond Tour.
· Road Closure from just past Palmer Court to Lincoln Hwy will be up Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Traffic can still come down 2nd Street, but will have to turn at Palmer Court. Palmer Court will be open to Third Street or the Van Buer Plaza.
- Set lights

On Firmer Ground

2009-07-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

This week and next is more than exciting for the folks on 3rd Street who have not seen a sidewalk in a few weeks. We have already started pouring the first of the concrete sidewalks on 3rd and will work to get the rest in Monday pouring on both 2nd & 3rd Street. Best of all .......TREES are coming as well!

FYI – the good folks at Elliott and Wood and Walker Construction are working on Friday to keep things moving along!

Here is what to expect the rest of this week and next week::

N. 2nd Street Locust to Lincoln -
- pour sidewalks/underlayment
- finish conduit
- pour light bases
- install trees

N. 3rd Street Locust to Lincoln
- pour sidewalk/underlayment
- install trees

Have a great 4th of July and thanks to everyone for the great cooperation!

Finding your way...

2009-07-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

For those that have them, using alternate back entrances are a great way to help your customers while the sidewalks are little harder to navigate.

Construction Update June 24, 2009

2009-06-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Work Planned for next 2 weeks:

North 2nd Street:

Week of June 22
-Remove sidewalk from East Lincoln Highway to just before Hillside
-Lay conduit
-Pour electrical bases
-Pour under drains
Week of June 29
-On Monday June 29 Remove sidewalk from building face from Hillside to Locust
-Begin replacing curb

North Third Street:
Week of June 22
- Pouring sidewalk from The House to Palmer

- Underground work for city communications
Week of June 29
- Pour sidewalk & underlayment on east side
- Pour underlayment & more sidewalk on west side

2nd and 3rd Street Project UPDATE:

Project Area:

2nd Street from RxR tracks to Locust
3rd Street from RxR tracks to Locust
Locust Street between 3rd and 4th (only for water main repair)

Project Scope For North 2nd and 3rd :

• COMPLETE - Repair of water main on Locust, 2nd and 3rd
• COMPLETE -Repair of sanitary line on 3rd
• UNDERWAY - Replacement of curbs and sidewalk from building face to curb
• Installation of new concrete and brick lined (soldier course) sidewalks
• Installation of trees, planters, landscape areas, street furniture, and other elements
• New lighting poles and fixtures
• Resurface of roadways

*Estimated timing and scope of construction:

APRIL - Locust & Third (Water Main) COMPLETE

MAY - 3rd St. by NB&T (Water Main) COMPLETE

JUNE - Corner of 3rd and E. Lincoln Hwy (Sanitary) COMPLETE

JUNE/JULY- Curb and gutter
COMPLETE - Curb and gutter on 3rd
UNDERWAY - Curb and gutter on 2nd
- Parking will be obstructed
- Fencing will be required
- Possible spot closures at times
COMPLETE - Small storm sewer will need to be repaired at corner of 2nd and Locust St. that will involve a one lane closure at times.

JULY/AUGUST– Bricks, lighting, sidewalk & more
- Pour Sidewalk
- Bricks to be installed on 2nd and 3rd
- Landscaping/Planters
- Light poles
- Road resurfacing

Project Scope For South 2nd and 3rd :
• Repair of sanitary cross connections on 2nd and 3rd
• Replacement of curbs and sidewalk from building face to curb
• Installation of new concrete and brick lined (soldier course) sidewalks
• Work along proposed outdoor patios on 2nd and 3rd
• Installation of trees, planters, landscape areas, street furniture, and other elements
• New lighting poles and fixtures
• Resurface of roadways

*Estimated timing and scope of construction on South 2nd and 3rd :
LATE JULY/AUGUST – removal of curb
- Starting at RXR crossings
- Work will happen simultaneously on South 2nd and 3rd

AUGUST- Curb, Gutter & Sanitary Repairs
- Parking will be obstructed at times
- Fencing will be required
- Street closures will be necessary at times

SEPETEMBER/OCTOBER – remaining sidewalk and landscaping throughout project area
- Installation of lighting, street furniture, etc.
- Resurface of 2nd and 3rd Streets

FULL COMPLETION DATE – November 2009

Pedestrian Pass Thru
Bid award July 14, City Council approval July 27, with completion by Thanksgiving 2009

East Lincoln Highway: NEARLY COMPLETE

Project Area:

East Lincoln Highway from 4th to 11th Street
• Kiwanis Park, 11th and East Lincoln – Gazebo/welcome feature
• 10th Street at Lincoln Highway monument
• 6th Street streetscape
• Streetscape bump-outs
• Pocket park on East Lincoln by Munson’s Insurance
• Decorative street light poles on East Lincoln, 4th Street to 8th Street
Project Update
Bump-out curbs COMPLETE
Electrical conduit underground and light bases COMPLETE
Much of landscape plantings around islands COMPLETE
Brick work expected in June at park by Munson’s and all bump-outs COMPLETE
Precast stone monuments at 10th Street, and at park by Munson’s COMPLETE
• Waiting on final ornamentals including planter towers, decorative feature on pillars and gazebo.

West Lincoln Highway Resurfacing:

Project Area:
Lincoln Highway/ IL RT 38 from 4th Street to Stadium Drive

Project Scope:
Mill and resurface of the highway. At least 1 lane of traffic will remain open in each direction throughout the project.

*Estimated Timeline:
Completion date is likely to be late fall.

*Information is subject to change based on project needs. Property/business owners will be notified of all major changes to this schedule and will be notified of regular process through regular construction update meeting’s , email notifications and website updates at www.renewdekalb.com.

Construction Meeting Update

2009-06-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Re:New DeKalb will be hosting a construction update meeting this week Thursday, June 25 at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers. We are making great progress on North 2nd and 3rd St. between
E. Lincoln Hwy. and Locust St. Things are going according to the plans that we presented at the preconstruction meeting. The project is entering the sidewalk removal and replacement phase on North 2nd and 3rd St. and we would like to take the opportunity to remind business and property owners of what to expect the next few weeks. Work will begin on South 2nd and 3rd in the weeks ahead. We will review the updated construction schedule and answer any questions that you may have.

We appreciate EVERYONE’s patience and cooperation. This is truly a team effort and we thank you for your support.

RSVP’s are appreciated to jennifer@renewdekalb.com or call 815-748-7788.

Pouring Curb on 2nd Street

2009-06-17T13:37:00.001-07:00

2nd St. Gets Underway & 3rd St. Gets Electric

2009-06-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Before we get into specifics, we want to remind everyone that changes happen on a day to day basis...sometimes even hourly. At times there is a need to do a spot street, sidewalk or street closure. There is a ton of working going on in rather small spaces and it can get tricky to fit everything in at times. We will do our best to get you all the information in advance so you can be prepared.

Here is what’s happening this week:

2nd St. –

Things got rolling last week starting with the removal of the curb along the sidewalk. The fence was installed to protect pedestrians and signs went up to help guide shoppers and customers to the businesses. This week we will be putting in the new curb as follows - first they will pin the design, then lay out the forms, and then pour the curb. Weather pending, we hope to see this work done by Friday or the first part of next week.

Once the curb is in place we will begin to do under drain, lay the conduit for electrical and remove the inside portion of the sidewalk.

Everyone on 2nd Street has been great - especially with the start of the Farmers Market which was a big success last week.

3rd St. –

West side:

Under drain is in.
Electric is in.
Curbs are in.
We will be working on the installing the light pole bases. Next comes the pouring of the sidewalk and downs!

East side:
Today we will continue with the removal of remaining sidewalk.
Then we will run electrical conduit and begin to do the under drain.

We hope to report soon about the grading and repaving of the street itself!

BIG thanks to Lauren Woods, NB&T, Boone and Johnson along with ALL the business owners on 3rd. This has been a tough few weeks and we can’t thank you enough for your great attitude and support.

A few other important notes –
The pedestrian pass thru will go to bid next week. Documents can be picked up at the City Engineering Department.

Rise & Revitalize Downtown Construction Update May 27, 2009

2009-05-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

West Lincoln Highway to Be Resurfaced

Project Area:

Lincoln Highway/IL Rt 38 from 4th Street to Stadium Drive

Project Scope:
Mill and resurface of the highway. At least 1 lane of traffic will remain open in each direction throughout the project.

*Estimated Timeline:

Completion date is likely to be late fall 2009.

2nd and 3rd Street Project UPDATE

April - Locust & Third (Water Main) COMPLETE

Closure on Locust from 3rd to 4th

Will last approximately 1 month

3rd street will remain open
Vehicular access will be open to locations between 4th and the entrance to the Monat building on Locust Street.

May - 3rd Street by NB&T (Water Main) COMPLETE

Closure from Palmer to Locust
Could last approximately 1 month
Palmer Ct. will remain open and 3rd from Lincoln to Palmer will remain open
Reverse Palmer Ct. one-way to allow for traffic flow out of 3rd Street.
No blocking of Palmer will be allowed
NB&T Bank drive thru will remain open, but exit will be reconfigured

June-Corner of 3rd and E. Lincoln Hwy (Sanitary) COMPLETE

Limited pedestrian access on east side of street
Pedestrian access would be open on West side by the House and then when the East side is done the West side will close.
Closure from Lincoln Hwy to Palmer Ct.
Could last approximately 1 month

July/August NOW JUNE/JULY-Curb and gutter 3rd then 2nd UNDERWAY

Parking will be obstructed
Fencing and door ramps will be required
Possible spot closures at time for crosswalk work, etc.
Small storm sewer will need to be repaired at corner of 2nd and Locust St. that will involve a one lane closure at times.

September NOW AUGUST-2nd and 3rd sidewalk and landscaping

Parking will be obstructed at times
Fencing and door ramps will be required
Possible spot closures at times for crosswalk work, etc.

September/October-remaining sidewalk and landscaping throughout project area

Resurface of 2nd and 3rd Streets

Outdoor Cafes

Project Scope:

Three outdoor cafes have been added to the 2nd and 3rd streetscape project. The construction of the cafes will take place during the sidewalk improvements portion of the project. The cafes will be enclosed areas adjacent to the businesses. Food and alcohol will be allowed to be served in these areas. Adjacent parking spaces will be removed to create each cafe.

Locations/Parking:

Please note at the patio locations some adjacent parking spaces will be removed. Some of those spaces include 15 minute spaces. The City of DeKalb will also be working to convert other 15 minute parking spaces in the immediate area to long term parking to help off-set parking loss.

Hillside (1 parking space removed)
Eduardo's on S. Second Street (4 parking spaces removed on 2nd St.)
O'Leary's on S. Third Street (3 parking spaces removed on 3rd St., with motorcycle spaces being created and 1 parallel space in lieu)

Total current parking on 2nd and 3rd = 76 spaces

Total loss of vehicular spaces for patios = 6

Gain of 3 motorcycle spaces = 3

Pedestrian Pass Thru

Bid in late June, award in July with completion by Thanksgiving 2009.

East Lincoln Highway

Project Area:

East Lincoln Highway from 4th to 11th Street

Kiwanis Park, 11th and East Lincoln -Gazebo/Welcome Feature
10th Street at Lincoln Highway Monument
6th Street streetscape
Pocket Park on East Lincoln by Munson's Insurance
Decorative street light poles on East Lincoln, 4th Street to 8th Street

Project Update:

Bump-out curbs COMPLETE
Electrical conduits underground and lighting bases COMPLETE
Much of landscape platings around islands COMPLETE
By June 30th all completion expected, with poles previously delivered required factor alteration and delay in setting until June
Brick work expected in June at park by Munson's and all bump-outs
Precast stone monuments at 10th Street and park by Munson's are delivered and will be set within two weeks.
Aluminum planter towers being manufactured for setting before the end of June

*Information is subject to change based on project needs. Property/business owners will be notified of all major changes to this schedule and will be notified of regular process through regular construction update meetings, email notifications and website updates at www.renewdekalb.com.

3rd Street is OPEN

2009-05-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Going Green

2009-05-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Van Buer Plaza

The Van Buer Plaza has gone green this week with the installation of the landscaping. Several trees, bushes and perennials have been installed making the plaza a truly beautiful spot. This Saturday The DeKalb County master Gardeners will be doing their annual planting of the downtown planters and the hanging baskets will be placed along Lincoln Highway all in time for the Community Memorial Day Parade.

Construction Rise and Revitalize
While blogs are great for keeping everyone informed we are planning a special Rise and Revitalize next week May 27 at 8:30 a.m. at Tapalaluna to discuss the progress, updates and answer questions about ALL the construction. The project is going well and communication has been key. We hope you will join us at the meeting for an in person update!

3rd Street Happenings
Things have been busy on Third Street as well this week. The water main will be finishing up this week now that everyone is tied into the new system.
Storm and sanitary work is also underway and should be wrapped up by this weekend.
We are still planning to open Third St. to vehicular traffic from East Lincoln Hwy on May 26th , but it may be towards the end of the day. The construction fence will be going up sometime this week along Third St. in preparation for the curb and gutter work that will begin soon.

2nd Street Work
With the completion of infrastructure improvements and the start of curb and gutter removal on 3rd St. that means work will soon head over to 2nd St. Curb and gutter removal work should begin around the first full week in June, but we will post more when we get definite dates. A construction fence will also go up down the middle of the sidewalk on the west side of 2nd Street while the curb and gutters are removed and replaced.

East Lincoln Hwy. (4th – 11th)
Things are really progressing on this project. Bases for the monument and landscape pedestals have gone in along with precast walls. The pocket park next to Musnon’s insurance is coming along well and the bases for the new lights are installed...now we just have to wait for the lights to arrive! All work is expected to be done on this project by the end of May or early June, with the exception of the gazebo at 11th Street and possibly the installation of the new light poles.

Outdoor Patios
Looks like a beautiful week to enjoy an outdoor dining area. Plans are being made to add three new outdoor patio’s to existing restaurants on 2nd and 3rd Streets. 1-2 parking spaces will have to be removed directly in front of the businesses to accommodate the patios and sidewalk width. More information on this project will be presented at the Construction Rise and Revitalize meeting on Wednesday, May, 27 at Tapalaluna at 8:30 a.m.

As always, if you have questions please contact Mike Bauling at the City of DeKalb Engineering Department at 815-748-2030 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788.

We Are Making Progress!

2009-05-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

This will be a VERY busy week on 3rd Street and in Palmer Court, but we are making great progress. Here is a quick rundown of where we are and what to expect the next few weeks:

THIRD STREET UPDATE

- Fencing
The construction fence that will go down the middle of the sidewalk on both the east and west sides of Third Street will be arriving on Wednesday, May 13. Pedestrians will be able to access Third via Lincoln Highway, Palmer and Locust.

- Water main
The new water main is in and nearly complete. Now all the buildings need to be connected to the new service. On Monday, May 18 all buildings on North Third from Lincoln Highway to Oak Street will be without water service for approximately five hours starting at 6 a.m. The City of DeKalb will be posting notices on all buildings including the residences that will be effected.

- Third Street to Reopen on May 26!!!
Third Street will reopen for one lane of vehicular traffic starting on Tuesday, May 26 and as always the sidewalks will be open to pedestrians. There will be NO on street parking at first while we are working on grading for the new curb and gutters, but cars and pedestrians can travel down the streets. During this time we continue to stress that ALL employees should be utilizing the 12 hour lots north of Locust or south of Lincoln Highway. Employees should not park on Locust as this will be the closest parking for customers.

- Accessing Third from Palmer Court
Cars will be able to access Third Street from Palmer Court later this week once the work on the manhole at the intersection of Palmer and Third is completed.

PALMER COURT & THE VAN BUER PLAZA UPDATE –

- Palmer Court Access
Palmer Court’s entrance at 2nd Street will be closed thru Thursday, May 14. Vehicles can still access Palmer Court through Van Buer Plaza.

- Van Buer Plaza & Palmer Court Closure
The Van Buer Plaza and Palmer Court will be closed on Thursday, May 14 for brick work. The Plaza and Palmer Court will reopen as soon as the brick work is completed.

- Landscaping
The final landscaping will be arriving later this week for the Van Buer Plaza.

3rd Street to Close May 11, 2009

2009-05-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Locust Street Opening Friday May 8 and
Third Street to Close Monday, May 11

Locust Street will reopen just in time for Mother’s Day and NIU Graduation weekend starting Friday, May 8.
The water main work on 3rd Street will be completed soon and that means work will begin on the sanitary line. Third Street will be closed from Lincoln Highway to Palmer Court for approximately 1 month. Palmer Court will remain open and vehicles can exit on to Third and then head east or westbound on Locust.

Once the sanitary line is repaired work on the curb, gutter and sidewalks on Third will begin.

We will be updating the overall schedule once we know how the sanitary line is progressing.

Moving Right Along....

2009-05-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Things are really moving along this week. The water main work has moved from Locust to Third Street. Locust Street will be reopened this weekend just in time for Mother’s Day and NIU Graduation.

The water main work on Third St. is expected to be completed near the end of next week. Third St. had been expected to close from Palmer Ct. to Locust St., but with the change in the water main location they have been able to keep it open to one lane

However, Third St. will close from Lincoln Highway to Palmer sometime during the week of May 11 for the start of the sanitary line. This work will take approximately three weeks. Third St. will remain open from Palmer to Locust allowing vehicles to exit Palmer on to Third. The bank drive thru at NB&T will remain open!

As a reminder NO employees should be parking on Third Street. This is reserved for CUSTOMERS ONLY!

Once the water main and sanitary line are completed work on the sidewalks will begin on Third. More details will posted as we get closer.

Please feel free to contact Mike Bauling at City of DeKalb Engineering Department at 815-748-2030 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb at

815-748-7788 with questions or concerns.

It's Underway

2009-04-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

Locust closure delayed due to weather

2009-04-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

Due to the weather, the closing of Locust Street will be delayed until Tuesday, April 28.

Locust/3rd Street Water Main Work

2009-04-21T12:15:00.001-07:00

Construction Updates on Locust/3rd St. re: water main work as of April 21, 2009:

Locust Closing Monday –

Locust Street will be closed east of the National Bank and Trust Company parking lot/drive thru entrance to Third Street starting on Monday, April 27. Third Street will remain open. The work will take approximately 2 weeks to complete. Signs will be posted that business entrances are open.

Following the completion of the work on Locust, construction will begin on Third Street. ALL work on the water main is expected to be complete by the end of May per the construction schedule.

Lights Out –
Two lights are temporarily out on the west side of Third Street for the water main work that will be coming down the street, but flood lighting will be installed to accommodate lighting needs.

Communications –
At the business owners request, once work begins on Third Street, we will organize regular meetings for business/property owners to come and ask questions and/or get updates. We will announce the time, date and location soon. In the mean time please continue to check the construction blog and if you need further assistance please contact Mike Bauling, City of DeKalb Engineer, at 815-748-2300 or Jennifer Groce at Re:New DeKalb (office) 815-748-7788 (cell) 815-501-4235

Parking –
As a reminder NO EMPLOYEES should be parking on the streets or in the 2 hour Van Buer Plaza. All employees should utilize the 12 hour lots located just north of Locust or south of Lincoln. Please be kind to your fellow business owners and allow customers and clients to have access to the prime parking.

It's Official!

2009-04-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

Construction has started on the 2nd, 3rd and Locust Street improvements.

2009-04-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

April - Locust & Third (Water Main)
Please note updates/changer are in red.

A new location for the water main has been found. This means that construction to bring the water main across Locust will move from the east side of the intersection at 3rd and Locust to the west side across from Verizon and the National Bank and Trust Company.

Closure on Locust from 3rd Street to the entrance at National Bank and Trust Company.
Will last approximately 1 month
3rd Street will remain open
Vehicular access will be open to location between North 2nd and the entrance to the National Bank and Trust Company.

Street closure notices will be posted at 3rd that note the bank parking and drive thru are open, but a detour will be necessary.

Construction has started with televising. Pavement cutting should begin the middle to end of week of April 12.

Project Overview

2009-04-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

2009 Downtown Construction and Land Development Information:

This will be an exciting year of continued improvements in downtown DeKalb. This page will be continually updated with key information about construction, project plans and land development.
If you have questions about the construction please contact Re:New DeKalb at 815-748-7788 or email jennifer@renewdekalb.com or the City of DeKalb Engineering Department at 815-748-2000.

2nd & 3rd Street Downtown DeKalb Construction Overview

Click on the links below to see a detailed plan
2nd and 3rd Street Improvement Plan
Landscape Plan

The City of DeKalb is preparing for the start of Phase II of the Downtown Streetscape Construction Project. Communication will be a critical element for Phase II that involves improvements on 2nd and 3rd Street. Re:New DeKalb is committed to providing business/property owners with up to date information and assistance throughout this phase of construction. To keep business/property owners informed Re:New DeKalb will post regular updates on our website, host regular constructions meetings for business/property owners and residents, send out email notifications and coordinate with the local media to ensure the public is informed about access and encouraged to keep visiting our businesses during construction. RNDK will also coordinate with the City of DeKalb and contractors to ensure visible signage is in place notifying downtown visitors where to park and how to access the businesses. In addition to the City of DeKalb Engineering Department, the RNDK office will also serve as a point of communication for business/property owners throughout the project.

The following is an overview of the 2nd and 3rd Street Plans:

Project Area:
2nd Street from RxR tracks to Locust
3rd Street from RxR tracks to Locust
Locust Street between 3rd and 4th (only for water main repair)

Project Scope:
Repair of water main on Locust, 2nd and 3rd
Repair of sanitary line on 3rd
Replacement of curbs and sidewalk from building face to curb
Installation of new concrete and brick lined (soldier course) sidewalks
Installation of trees, planters, landscape areas, street furniture, and other elements
New lighting poles and fixtures
Resurface of roadways

*Estimated timing and scope of construction:

APRIL - Locust & Third (Water Main)
Closure on Locust from 3rd to 4th
Will last approximately 1 month
3rd Street will remain open
Vehicular access will be open to locations between 4th and the entrance to the Monat building on Locust Street.

MAY - 3rd St. by NB&T (Water Main)
Closure from Palmer to Locust
Could last approximately 1 month
Palmer Ct. will remain open and 3rd from Lincoln to Palmer
Reverse Palmer Ct. one-way to allow for traffic flow out of Third Street.
No blocking of Palmer will be allowed
NB&T Bank drive thru will remain open, but exit will be reconfigured

JUNE - Corner of 3rd and E. Lincoln Hwy (Sanitary)
Limited pedestrian access on east side of street
Pedestrian access would be open on West side by the House and then when the east side is done the west side will close.
Closure from Lincoln Hwy to Palmer Ct.
Could last approximately 1 month

JULY/AUGUST - Curb and gutter 3rd then 2nd
Parking will be obstructed
Fencing and door ramps will be required
Possible spot closures at times for crosswalk work, etc.
Small storm sewer will need to be repaired at corner of 2nd and Locust St. that will involve a one lane closure at times.

SEPTEMBER - 2nd & 3rd sidewalk & landscaping
Parking will be obstructed at times
Fencing an door ramps will be required
Possible spot closures at times for crosswalk work, etc.

OCTOBER – remaining sidewalk and landscaping throughout project area

*Information is subject to change based on project needs. Property/business owners will be notified of all major changes to this schedule and will be notified of regular process through regular construction update meeting’s , email notifications and website updates at http://www.renewdekalb.com/ starting April 1, 2009.

Pedestrian Pass Thru: Summer 2009

Demolition of 231 E. Lincoln Hwy is complete. This area will serve as the pedestrian pass thru from Parking Lot #4 to Lincoln Highway. Construction will continue in this area throughout the summer. The area is planned to include a roof type structure, public art, lighting, benches, and a security camera.
Day 1 - See the demolition
Day 2 - See the demolition
Demo Cleared
Complete

East Lincoln Highway Improvements: Spring/Summer 2009
4-7th Street: Installation of new lighting, street furniture, and sidewalk improvements
10th Street Gateway Monument
11th Street Lincoln Highway Gazebo with Visitors Center
Pocket Park

East Lincoln Highwa Streetscpe and Lighting Improvements under contract,
4th to 11th Street

Contractor: Rockford Blacktop Construction Company
Contractual Completion Date: May 30, 2009 (lighting pole delivery and installation is allowed to overrun this time)
Significant features:

Kiwanis Park, 11th and East Lincoln; This contract will build a concrete pad foundation for a gazebo but the wood gazebo of the Illinois Lincoln Highway Historic Corridor theme will be installed late Spring/Summer but others, not a part of this May 30th completion. The City contract also has decorative landscaping and a sidewalk connection from the gazebo to Lincoln Hwy.
10th Street at Lincoln Highway monument; This contract has a 10’ tall “DEKALB” precast monument surrounded by lower architectural walls and landscaping with sidewalk connections from the vacant lot monument to 10th Street and to Lincoln Hwy. Each end of the decorative wall has planter bowls on a planter tower.
6th Street streetscape; This contract has brick pavers to replace the old ones at the NAPA corner and also a decorative planting strip along the west side of 6th adjacent McDonalds
Streetscape bumpouts; This contract has at each curb bumpout on Lincoln Hwy at 5th Street (Gordon’s Hardware) and in front of the post office a landscaping planter curb border within the bumpout and a raised tower and planter bowl.
Pocket park on East Lincoln by Munson’s Insurance; This contract has paver bricks in a banding pattern into the vacant space west of Munson and various raised platforms and seat wall and lighting effects for display of public art and passive pedestrian use
Decorative street light poles on East Lincoln, 4th Street to 8th Street; This contract replaces the existing concrete pole lights with fluted decorative steel poles and theme lighting fixtures. The poles will be the same as Municipal Lot 4 and have banner arms, flag holders, and hanging baskets. The wiring to the poles will be installed as much as possible “trenchless” by directional boring, but sidewalk cut outs are necessary for removing the old poles and placing the new pole foundations and having wiring conduit surface from underground. This electrical work will cause some temporary loss of parking for the electrical contractor to build these items as there is no way around it. No wholesale removal of sidewalk in front of businesses is necessary.

Proposed Sho-Deen Development Plans

ShoDeen Development are proposing a project on the south side of West Lincoln Highway between Walgreen’s on the east and Pearl Street on the west side. The uniqueness of this proposal is that the developer would like to bring a mixed use development to the City’s downtown. The project would entail commercial and residential uses that our Downtown Plan specifically calls for along Lincoln Highway.
Shodeen west side plan
Shodeen east side plan

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