Development News

Farmington puts final touches on downtown streetscape

Thursday, October 22, 2009

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Downtown Living, Oakland County, Redevelopment

Farmington

They're getting ready to stretch the ribbon in Farmington so it can be cut on the downtown streetscape project next weekend.

The city recently finished paving and striping the $3.2 million project. Construction workers are putting the final brick pavers, lamp posts, and signage in place this week.

"They're wrapping up the final details," says Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority.

The project rebuilt Grand River Avenue between Farmington Road and Warner Street, making the byway friendlier to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. It also expanded the sidewalk area, adding bump-outs around parallel parking spaces and installing new sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, bike racks, trash cans, and decorative streetlights.

City officials are now applying for grant funding to complete the original scope of the project, which called for doing the same sort of work on Grove Street between Grand River and Orchard Street and adding a boulevard.

"We're very hopeful that will happen," Knowles says.

Source: Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke