(BLOOMINGTON) – Demolition of the Fourth Street Garage continues this week. The entire east bay of the garage has been demolished and work on the west bay of the garage has begun. In order safely to collect demolition debris in the alleyway, the covered walkway in the alley has been temporarily dismantled to make room for dumpsters and safety netting. Additionally, a new safety sweep plan has been instituted to monitor hazards in the alley. After demolition is complete and prior to construction, the site will be assesed to determine whether the covered walkway will be reconstructed. Pedestrian access via the alley will be limited to non-construction hours during this temporary demolition phase.
Additionally, the City is pursuing Parksmart certification for the Fourth Street Garage. Similar to LEED certification for commercial building design/construction, Parksmart guidelines are designed to reduce environmental impact, increase energy efficiency and performance, and manage parking spaces efficiently. In keeping with Parksmart guidelines, waste production is being minimized over the course of the demolition of the existing garage by separating steel and rebar from concrete and recycling it. Last week, nine dumpsters of steel and rebar were removed from the site and recycled. The concrete debris is being used by the demolition contractor as a pad for demolition equipment and will be recycled once this phase is complete. Â
Coordination with the local utilities is underway. Soon, the City of Bloomington, Vectren, and AT&T will relocate the utilities from the site to Third Street.
The Drilled Caisson Foundation Package has been released to potential bidders, with bids due on October 25. Plans are available here.
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Road improvements continue at multiple locations around the city. The Street Division of the Department of Public Works is currently milling and paving East Hillside Drive from South Walnut to South Highland Avenue. As updated here, lane restrictions and street closures are in place at these locations. The department updates the paving schedule at this map.
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The Brighten B-town initiative has completed the coordinated maintenance of two zones at the center of the city (Zones 1 and 2), and will proceed in Spring 2020 with Zone 3, an area bounded by Second Street and Hillside, South Henderson and South Rogers. Since the program began April 1, more than 27,328 linear feet of curb has been painted and 38,640 pounds of curbside debris removed. Additionally, 330 fire hydrants have been painted, 1,822 stormwater inlets cleared, and 112.25 truckloads of mulch laid. Brighten B-town has integrated the efforts of staff from multiple City departments to deliver upkeep and maintenance services block by block. Â
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A project to install a sidewalk on the south side of Moores Pike from South Woodruff Lane to College Mall Road is underway. Crews have installed retaining walls and are clearing brush from the terrain where new sidewalk will be laid. Funding for the Moores Pike Sidewalk Project was allocated by the Common Council’s sidewalk committee and approved by the Board of Public Works on August 7. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of November, weather permitting. More information about the project is available here.
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Construction of the missing gap in the existing multi-use path along the north side of West Second Street/West Bloomfield Road between South Adams Street and South Patterson Drive continues, along with the improvement of the signalized intersections of Bloomfield at South Landmark Avenue and Second at Patterson. The project is proceeding with signalization pole installation and sod placement. The federally-funded project is included in the Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMCMPO). Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Construction completion is slated for fall 2019. More information about the Second & Bloomfield Multimodal Safety Project is available here.   Â
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The 17th Street Reconstruction Project to add pedestrian infrastructure and roadway improvements along the busy corridor is scheduled for completion by the end of 2019. Work continues with the installation of stormwater utilities and the completion of underground utility installation. This project requires a full closure of West 17th Street from the roundabout at Arlington Road to the Vernal Pike/17th Street overpass. All through traffic, including pedestrians, must use an alternate route due to safety concerns. More information about the project can be found here.  Â
