Streetscape project draws mixed reviews

By Mickey Tibbits
The Free Press

WASECA October 02, 2006 11:51 pm

— While Waseca puts the finishing touches on its $1 million Streetscape project for downtown, opinions differ about its value.
Mark Lieferman, Waseca community development director, said the goal was “to improve the appearance of downtown, to make downtown more inviting.”
None of the 10 downtown business owners contacted who were critical of the city’s project wanted their names printed, citing possible repercussions from the city.
Their criticisms included the cost, timing as well as the need for the project. Several people voiced concern about traffic issues, including bicycles and vehicles.
Some believe the money could have been better spent on other improvements to downtown. Some don't believe improving the sidewalks will bring customers to their businesses.
Others think it’s a nice improvement to downtown.
“Personally, I think it’s a nice look,” said Cindy Piche, owner of 4- Seasons Athletics, “The sidewalks were in bad shape.” Most of the previous sidewalks were put in during the middle 1980s.
Piche, like other business owners, will be glad when the construction is over. The project, started in July, is being constructed by Pember Cos. out of Wisconsin. The Mankato firm of Bolton and Menk is managing the project.
Unlike other storeowners, Piche doesn’t believe she lost a lot of business because her store is on a corner, so customers can come in from the side street.
Termed Streetscape, the project includes four blocks on State Street running from the railroad tracks on the south to the courthouse on the north end.
In addition to new sidewalks trimmed with a line of inlaid bricks, the city will have obelisks at the gateways, 64 removable bollards, three decorated intersections and other aesthetic elements.
The intersections also include bump outs, a major source of contention. Lieferman described the bump outs as “a traffic-calming device.” He said, “They also make pedestrians feel safer.”
Bump outs are rounded corners at the intersections that extend about six feet on two sides from a standard sidewalk. As a result the area that previously was used as a turning lane is now sidewalk, making it more difficult for vehicles, especially trucks to turn.
The street between the two bump outs on the south side of the courthouse is now 24 foot wide, Lieferman said. This is a fairly standard width and is the same as some Waseca County highways, according to Lieferman.
The design includes four obelisks, costing $8,500 each. “These serve as gateways,” he said. The 64 bollards, which are 4-foot decorative posts, will be installed at a cost of $68,000 on the bump outs as soon as they are available.
The owner of Waseca Music Store, Jim Kozan, also likes the look of the new project. Kozan’s not sure, however, that he will be as enthusiastic this winter when he has to shovel his sidewalk, which will be harder because of the strip of bricks.
Likewise, the bump outs will make it more difficult for the city’s snow plows this winter.
Lieferman said they looked at this issue for about six months before they decided to go ahead.
Archie Johnson, who owns a cement business, is also critical of the project. His remarks, however, mainly concern the work, not the design of the project. “I think the workmanship is very poor,” he said. He doubts the project will bring new business to downtown.
“I think the workmanship is very poor,” he said, citing splattered cement on the sidewalks and storefronts. Johnson said the splattered cement should have been removed immediately because it is difficult, if not impossible, to remove once it has dried.
In response to the problem of cement splattering, Joe Duncan, project manager, said the contractor has been made aware of the problem and that "if it can not be remedied by cleaning it off, if will have to be remedied by other methods." Those methods he said would include either replacement or compensation.
A 50-foot section of the sidewalk where the joints were misaligned has also been replaced, according to Duncan.
Lieferman said he is surprised about the negative feedback, noting the project’s lengthy planning process. A commissioned study done by students from Minnesota State University resulted in a 120-page report.
Downtown business owners also were invited to a number of planning sessions and meetings, Lieferman said.
The Economic Development Authority looked at similar projects in other cities, Lieferman said. The Waseca project closely resembles Minnesota Street in New Ulm, he noted.
In the end, a committee of six businesspeople decided what types of improvements should be made, Lieferman said, and the EDA approved their recommendations.
Finishing touches by the contractor include the installation of streetprints at three intersections as well as the south gateway. Brick outlines will be stamped in the street using a brick tone and sand color to visually tie the sidewalks and streets together, Lieferman said.
The Streetscape project, part of a larger downtown renovation project, is being funded by tax-increment financing. A tax-increment financing district is a designated area that a city sets aside for a certain number of years, during which time the taxes on the increased property value within the TIF are used to finance improvements.
The estimated cost of the project to date is $965,000, Lieferman said, noting the final cost should be close to that amount.
That cost does not include the interest on the total $1.1 million bond issued in 2005.
Some of the $600,000 interest expense would be avoided if the bonds are paid off early.
“Encouraging reinvestment is critical to the continued success of our redevelopment effort,” Lieferman said.
While Waseca’s downtown has heavy traffic now, especially at the center of the project where Highways 13 and 14 intersect, once the Highway 14 bypass is finished, traffic is expected to decrease significantly.
“Cities need to refresh their downtowns every 15 to 20 years to compete,” said Lieferman, noting that downtown business owners are competing with the newer businesses on the north end of town.
“I think people will feel much different about the project when it is completed,” Lieferman said.

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