Improvements to Highland Park’s Central Business District will begin this summer after the City Council approved a contract for the $2.8 million revitalization of Second Street.
The council awarded the construction contract to Everlast Blacktop, Inc. last week. The city received two bids for the project; the lowest bid from Everlast was about $300,000 above the engineer’s estimate, according to a memo from city staff.
Enhancements to the downtown drag include widening the east sidewalk, and changing the concrete to decorative brick to match the west side, adding bump-outs to provide more space for outdoor dining, sewer improvements, new light fixtures, landscaping, outdoor furniture and bike racks.
The Second Street Improvement Project comes after several council discussions, a review of various conceptual design plans and feedback from business owners and stakeholders.
The “streetscape” redesign is part of the city’s multifaceted approach to make several downtown spots focal points of activity to foster vibrancy, community and support local businesses, according to city officials.
Infrastructure investments were identified as a city priority, City Manager Ghida Neukirch said at the April 10 meeting.
“We’ve been working closely with the business in that area, and we’ve done a number of communications about this exciting project,” Neukirch said.
In 2022, the council approved exploring ways to improve the pedestrian environment along Second Street. Currently, the west side of the street has brick-paved sidewalks that are five feet wider than the seven-foot, concrete sidewalks on the east side.
Work on Second Street, from Elm Place to Central Avenue, is scheduled to begin in mid-May with a completion date of Aug. 30. One lane of traffic will be open at all times, except for intermittent closures as necessary, according to the memo.
The council also awarded a contract for street resurfacing and pedestrian signal improvements in the Central Business District, fulfilling another important city priority, Neukirch said.
Pedestrian access was identified as a need during a city assessment of the business district, according to a memo from city staff.
The $6.3 million contract for resurfacing and pedestrian signal improvements was granted to Builders Paving. Funds for the project were included in the city’s capital budget.
The proposed work includes bringing pedestrian signals in compliance with current standards, such as push-button devices, signal count-downs and audible sound for the visually impaired, the city memo said.
Resurfacing work is expected to begin on July 8 with an anticipated completion date of August 30.
chilles@chicagotribune.com