NEWS

Downtown construction is a necessary mess

Jessica Denton
Reporter

PORT CLINTON – As residents and visitors milled the sidewalks of downtown Port Clinton and checked out the vendors and shops participating in the monthly “Art Walk” on Thursday evening, it was hard not to notice the large orange cones, barrels and signs along W. Second St.

The 100 block of W. Second will be closed for the next 30 days, part of the final push of Phase One of Mayor Vince Leone’s downtown revitalization: a $1.5 million project involving new water, sewer and gas lines, as well as new storm drains, curbs, sidewalks and streets.

The closure started on Wednesday and overlapped with the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council’s monthly “Art Walk” events in downtown. While the road was closed to all vehicles, the sidewalks remained open.

Local business owners didn’t mind the mess or the slight inconvenience and say the positives of the project far outweigh the negatives.

Anita Hanes, whose daughter Dina Rodgers owns Lilly & Gert’s, was cashing customers out during another busy evening at the shop.

“They’ve been so accommodating,” Hanes said of the construction crews. “They worked on the other side of the street because they knew we were having the Art Walk.”

Hanes said the crews, as well as city employees have kept Rodgers and other Second St. business owners up to date on what would be going on through the project.

“They’re very respectful,” Hanes said. “They stopped at 4 because they knew the Art Walk would start at 5 and didn’t want to make too much noise.”

Rodgers, who opened the shop at 122 W. Second St. a little over a year ago and was celebrating her second year of business, said the crews have been watering down the dirt each day to keep dust to a minimum.

“I’m very impressed with this company,” Rodgers said. “They’ve been great.”

Rodgers said oftentimes people will ask why the project is being done now, during the crucial tourist season.

“When else are they supposed to do it?” Rodgers asked rhetorically. “This is the time to do it.”

Margaret Phillips, councilwoman (Ward 3), commended council, the administration and the construction crews and thanked them for their work on revitalizing downtown.

“We ought to thank them. They’ve taken time to make sure everything is where it should be,” Phillips said at Tuesday’s regular city council meeting.

“It’s coming along beautifully,” she said.

jdenton@gannett.com

419-734-7506

Twitter: @jessicadentonNH