By DAWN FRASIEUR
Buchanan Correspondent

A new streetscape design is taking shape in Buchanan and should be pretty much completed in time for Buchanan Fest, according to city manager Mike Hughes.

"There have been a few delays for the weather, but they've been minimal," Hughes said last week. "We expect to be mostly completed with the project in two to three weeks."

The streetscape project involves replacement of sidewalks and street lights and the addition of amenities, including benches, a new clock, litter receptacles, bike rails, trees, tree grates and guards, along with new signs for streets and for the Arts & Historical District.

The restoration is being done with Buchanan's history in mind. The amenities have an old-fashioned look, and the street lights, specifically, replicate historical downtown street lights from the past.

"Our aim was to be accurate with history," said Hughes, who noted, however, that "Buchanan has had a lot of different street lights downtown throughout the years."

The new ones, he said, probably replicate those found in town in the 1920s and 1930s.

Work continues on Days Avenue as well, with the culvert opening and restoration of the banks of McCoy Creek.

"This is a beautification project designed to create a more pleasing sense of space and to capitalize on natural resource," Hughes said.

One hold-up in that project was the discovery of contaminated soil at the Buchanan Common. About 140 cubic yards of contaminated soil had to be removed and replaced with clean soil before the project could continue. Hughes said the city worked closely with the Department of Environmental Quality on the problem and speculated that an underground storage tank removed in the 1980s may have been the cause of the lingering contamination.

The curbing is now completed on Days Avenue; the contractor is currently working on grading of the creek bank, Hughes said.

Sidewalks and paving of the street are next, he said.

Hughes said downtown revitalization is happening all over the United States as communities discover its importance for the local economy.

The revitalization project is being accomplished with a $700,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which required matching monies from the city. The match, taken from the city's general fund budget, is paying for the Days Avenue project, Hughes said.

The Buchanan City Commission was expected to set a date Monday for the official downtown revitalization project ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

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