Downtown Streetscape: Paving of Front Street concludes Phase I of project

Paving of the block of East Front Street between Park and Watchung Avenues will get under way Monday, November 7, bringing to a close the Phase I of the streetscape portion of Mayor Al McWilliams' downtown renewal plans, born when he assumed office in January 1998.

The repaving of Front Street has been held up--first because gas leaks developed which involved pouring new concrete that had to cure for a month before paving, and then because of the record rainfalls in October, leaving the street too wet to pave.

The $2.5 million streetscape project includes new sidewalks, curbs, decorative brick banding and crosswalks and new street lamps. The street lamps are copied from a turn-of-the-century photo of downtown Plainfield, and are referred to by the manufacturer as the "Plainfield" model.

Trash receptacles have been replaced throughout the project area and benches have been provided for shoppers. The very popular triangular mini-park at the corner of Front and Park was also redesigned, though the jury is still out on whether it is an improvement over the 1970's version which was a highly successful example of the genre.

"The streetscape project is the 'icing on the cake' if you will," says Mayor Al McWilliams, "finishing touches in the Park-Madison area to the major projects which have remade Plainfield's downtown business district--the new County office building and the retail/residential development of Horizons at Plainfield out of the abandoned Tepper's department store."

Streetscape planning was begun by the Office of Economic Development, led by Pat Ballard Fox, with execution of the plan under the supervision of City Engineer Carl Turner. With completion of this phase of the city's streetscape plans, Plainfield will finally be in a position to install closed circuit cameras to assist in crime fighting in the downtown business district.

Phase II, which is in the planning stage, will included improvements in the same vein along both Park and Watchung Avenues from Front Street to Seventh Street.

Keywords: Plainfield, UEZ, streetscape