Belleville’s Manager of Engineering Ray Ford speaking at a Mayor’s Implementation Team meeting January 25, 2017.(Photo/Quinte News).
Planning is underway for Phase 3(a) of the Downtown Belleville revitalization project. Today (Wednesday), city council’s Mayor’s Implementation Team heard that it’s hoped that construction could begin in the middle of July.
Phase 3(a) involves rebuilding Front Street from Bridge to Dundas West, and work on Bridge from Coleman Street to Pinnacle Street.
Another phase, known as 3(b), would be done in 2018. 3(b) would involve reconstruction on Mcannany and Market streets in the Market Square.
Council has budgeted $12.2 million for the phases. The city has set aside close to $35 million for Phases 1, 2, and 3(a and b).
Mayor Taso Christopher wondered why the work wouldn’t start in the spring.
Manager of Engineering Ray Ford explained that about $2 million worth of work is yet to be done on the Dundas West/Baybridge Road project and that it wouldn’t be done until July, so closing Bridge Steet downtown wouldn’t make sense from a traffic flow perspective until that was complete.
Proposed 3(a) timelines would see stakeholder consultation next month and a tender issued. The tender call would close in March and it’s hoped a contractor would be chosen in April.
It’s hoped Bridge and Front would be open for two way traffic by the end of October, with all of phase 3(a) complete by the end of November this year.
City staff has set a date for an all day public information drop-in event.
It is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, February 2 at the Build Belleville offices beside the Legion on Pinnacle Street.
