New date for reopening Main Street is Nov. 30

By AMY FOSTER / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Work has just recently started on East Main Street, which is the third phase of the downtown revitalization project. (James Clark photo)

APEX construction has obtained close to three months of extensions for the Main Street McMinnville project which was originally scheduled to be complete this October. The three months of extensions translate to approximately 60 actual work days missed.

When downtown roads were closed and construction began in August, 2004, it was announced the project would take 14 months to complete. Now officials are saying Nov. 30 is a more accurate deadline for Main Street to be completely reopened. The end of the year is the date for the project to wrap up altogether.

The approximately 60 days that APEX has not been able to work due to such problems as days of demolition, rain and other unpredictable occurrences.

“With all things considered, I think things are going considerably well now,” Mayor Royce Davenport said.

APEX Construction co-owner Greg Brock confirmed Wednesday the new date for completing the project is the end of the year assuming there are no more problems such as rain.

“We are trying to get the Main Street section done by Nov. 30,” Brock said. “This is based on things going correctly and that does not include weather and all of that kind of stuff. We have a great shot at that date if things go correctly. The best thing for everyone is to get traffic flowing up and down Main Street again.”

People downtown have not always been so sure the project was ever going to get done. Over the past few months concerned business owners have attended city meetings and bi-monthly progress meetings. These business owners have voiced concerns about the many problems that have delayed the project and made the finish date stray away from the original date in October.

“The city has tried to work with the traffic flow and they are just trying to keep businesses happy and that slows down overall progress a little too,” Brock said.

A number of improvements have been completed over the past few months. As it stands now, according to Public Works director Bill Brock, all of the new water sewers are in along with the gas lines, and much of the electrical construction is also completed. Aside from a few minor things, all of the west side of Main Street is completed.

Items such as the fountain and statue in the park area of Court Square are scheduled to be completed within the next few weeks. Once the fountain is poured, all of the stamped concrete in the square will be completed shortly after. Demolition of the City Mall area on East Main near Dollar General is also scheduled during this time.

Greg Brock said the biggest item APEX faces in the next few weeks is drainage, along with other problems associated with Spring Street. He added engineers have gained approval from TDOT on new plans that had to be changed from what the original drawings included. Construction on Spring Street will begin after the Labor Day weekend.

According to Davenport, after Main Street is completed at the end of the year, the next phase, which includes Morford Street, will more than likely not happen for many years to come.

Davenport also added that if the construction is not finished when the contract date is up, APEX will be fined $750 per day. This does not include the extensions APEX may receive due to weather.