Stellar Indiana Street asphalt work slated for Aug. 11-12

The Putnam County Fair is over for another year. Summer vacation is coming to an end.

And there's a light at the end of the tunnel for the South Indiana Street rehabilitation project as well.

A project that began with an initial street closing back in mid-April is now expected to see a mid-August end, according to the latest information from the general contractor, Mayor Sue Murray told the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission at its July meeting.

Rieth-Riley Construction Co., Indianapolis, which has an $884,383 contract with the Indiana Department of Transportation to complete the streetscape project as part of the City of Greencastle Stellar Grant effort, now lists final asphalt surfacing work on South Indiana Street (from Seminary to Washington) as occurring Aug. 11-12.

"It's really coming together," the mayor said in sharing the contractor's latest timetable for a project that has closed a main downtown artery the past 3-1/2 months.

Significantly, the first layer of asphalt base is actually due to be put down on South Indiana this coming week.

"Final paving is scheduled for the Aug. 11 and 12," Mayor Murray said, "and then the contractor always leaves that long window for clean-up and final completion -- all issues, if any resolved, paperwork completed and final payments made."

That is why final completion of the project is listed as Oct. 20, even though substantial completion is still shown as being achieved the third week of August.

Meanwhile, the Redevelopment Commission approved a $14,731 total change order on Phase I of the Stellar Facades project.

The change involves lighting modifications at both Shuee and Sons and Wilson Photography and Formal Wear as well as painting of the four-color cornice atop the Bright Futures building on Washington Street.

The lighting work includes fixtures over outdoor signage, three at Shuee's and one at Wilson's.

The painting work at Bright Futures was in the original quote but is now "significantly less" (by approximately $4,000) than the original price quoted, commission members were told.

The encouraging news, as both Mayor Murray and City Attorney Laurie Hardwick pointed out, is that Phase I of the facade project is finally nearing an end.

"Not to be sarcastic," Chairman Erika Gilmore said in prefacing her question. "But is this the last one?"

"This is it," Mayor Murray responded, "unless we have a special meeting. We are closing out all claims (on Phase I) at the end of July."

In another Stellar Grant project update, the mayor said even though the perimeter area for a second round of owner-occupied rehabilitation has been expanded to include the entire city limits, no one else has stepped forward to take advantage of it.

Eight homeowners already have qualified but there is room to accommodate another four or five houses, officials said.

As noted in a front-page announcement on Monday, July 21, funding for home repairs (especially lead paint remediation) is available through part of the Stellar Grant funded by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA). To be eligible, residents must own and live in their homes and meet HUD-required income guidelines.

Originally those funds -- as much as $20,000 per home -- were to be used only in the specified Stellar Grant area, basically immediately surrounding the downtown.

Some houses have received new windows or a new roof and weatherproofing necessities as part of the grant effort.

Since no one has responded to the latest call-out, interested persons are urged to call City Hall at 848-1515 or the program grant administrators, Star Development, at 765-478-6512 for more details.