‘There is life in downtown Mt. Pleasant’

Although construction may be causing some disruption to the flow of traffic in downtown Mt. Pleasant, Main Street Mt. Pleasant wants residents to know 'there is life downtown.”

Main Street Mt. Pleasant is hosting their first construction-themed event for the summer on Thursday, May 2, from 4 to 6 p.m.: Pie in the Sky: There is Life in Downtown Mt. Pleasant.

About 10 to 15 businesses will be serving pie - savory or sweet - on Thursday. It will be similar to Main Street's annual wine and beer walks that were earlier this year where residents can stop by businesses, grab some samples and do some shopping.

Main Street director Lisa Oetken said this is the first of many events during this summer's 'construction era.”

Oetken said that while construction has affected downtown business somewhat, the city is doing a great job of getting construction crews in and out to keep sidewalks and streets accessible.

'They always have bridges at those front doors,” Oetken said. 'They will be turning up sidewalks next week, but people can still get in. It's a little harder to park, but we encourage people to walk a little ways.”

There is no fee to attend this event.

Downtown construction began on Monday, April 4, as part of Mt. Pleasant's ongoing Central Business District Construction projects. The construction is to improve water lines and make sidewalks ADA Compliant.

This week, Mike Nelson Concrete Paving Company will begin the second phase of construction, starting at the west end of Monroe Street in front of Subway to remove seven feet of sidewalk at a time. They will pour back the six foot wide ADA Compliant sidewalk with brick-stamped inserts as they go. There will be wood ramps installed for access to businesses.

Once a block of sidewalk has been placed along the businesses, a snow fence will be installed along the sidewalk to keep people out of the work area. Kinney & Sons will begin removal of the existing street surface from Jefferson Street to Main Street. They will grade for the new paving and place granular subbase, new drainage structures and storm sewer pipes. Once they are done, Mike Nelson Concrete Paving will pour the new pavement.

Once the pavement is complete, the colored concrete area between the new back of curb and six foot sidewalk will be placed.