An open forum meeting, in the Warsaw City Council Chambers will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, regarding the Market Street project. This meeting is for residents impacted by the project.

This event will have detailed plans of Phase 1 of the project with city officials available to answer questions and hear concerns. “This is only for property owners impacted by the project,” stressed Jeremy Skinner, city planner and Mayor Joe Thallemer.

Skinner noted a number of residents have stopped in the office to discuss the project further.

General Project Information

Skinner did provide information to the council regarding the project. The information notes the city has been working with various local, state and federal partners to reconstruct Market Street from Argonne Road to Hickory Street. The project will be divided into two phases.

The first phase, which will began this year, is to rehabilitate Market Street while providing improvements including safe on street parking, street lighting, storm water improvements and alternative transportation improvements.

The city received over $2.3 million in local, state and federal grants in order to complete both phases of the $3.6 million reconstruction project. To maximize the impact of tax dollars, the city has received almost $2 in grant funds for every local tax dollar going into the project.

Phase 1 will begin in the spring, starting at Argonne Road and stopping short of Bronson Street. The reconstruction will provide two lanes of vehicular travel and adequate space for on street parking. There will also be a safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Market Street will be widened to allow on street parking on the south side, a new sidewalk o the north side, a side path will be constructed from Krebs Trail Head to Bronson Street on the south side, decorative street lights and underground storm water improvements.

All improvements will be made within the existing Market Street right-of-way. While some trees will be removed, the city will work with various community partners to plant flowering street trees along the project corridor.

The construction is expected to last 180 days and there will be various road closures. The city will work with residents to coordinate access during construction.

Phase 2 is tentatively scheduled to start engineering in 2015 with a construction time frame between July 2019 and July 2019.

Mariners Drive And Husky Trail

The city will also be reconstructing Mariners Drive from Husky Trail to North Pointe Drive and completing the bid letting for the Husky Trail project in November. The city has worked with local, state and federal partners to receive an additional $3 million in grant funds to complete the Husky Trail and Mariners Drive Projects.

The mayor and city council have been able to leverage approximately $1.9 million in local tax dollars to receive $5.3 million in grant funds to complete these road reconstruction projects.