News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Bids are in for a pair of projects in downtown Gainesboro designed to create cosmetic improvement and comfort for pedestrians.
Sidewalk installation on East Montpelier Avenue across from City Park will see a 50-foot stretch of road gain ADA-compliant sidewalks. Council Member Nancy Pruett said the street located behind the new Gainesboro Modern Museum is the perfect prospect for more pedestrian traffic. She said it will create a walkable path to downtown from the old Shamrock Hotel, slated to become a 16-room boutique hotel.
“We’re really getting an influx of business and visitors,” Pruett said. “So we do want to keep our town and the basic sidewalks clean and updated to allow people to walk. A lot of people walk in the afternoons and in the mornings too.”
The Board of Aldermen will meet March 7 to look through bids and select one for the project. They will also select a bid for a City Park project that will replace the wood chips in the playground with rubber mulch.
Pruett said the current sidewalks have presented a safety issue due to being deteriorated, and are allowing water to flow down the street and puddle on roads and parking lots. She said it is a short stretch of road and she expects the project to be completed in just a few months.
“We’ve done some work on South Murray Street for sidewalks,” Pruett said. “We just did some paving, and this is also up near where we did some paving by the park. So, this is just a constant, as you know. To keep the infrastructure updated, you’re working on it all the time.”
As for the mulch project in the park, Pruett said the city wants to move to a softer option if it is affordable.
“I think financially, it would be a plus because we wouldn’t have to keep, you know, the mulch gets packed down and you have to rake it all the time,” Pruett said.
