Despite recent rain, wellness center site in ‘good shape’

For the second meeting in a row, the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission heard nothing but good news about the status of the $28 million wellness center/YMCA project.

“Dirt work is continuing,” Mayor Bill Dory reported Wednesday evening, adding that the building pad and parking lot sites are now at proper elevation for construction.

Lime stabilization of the soil at the site got under way earlier Wednesday, Dory added.

“So no setbacks?” RDC member Brian Cox asked.

“No setbacks,” the mayor replied, “other than the other day when it rained.”

RDC member Gary Lemon took note of that, reporting that he was worried when he saw water standing and workmen digging at the site after recent rainfall.

Lemon was among members expressing frustration that there was no one from the construction team present to provide an update as requested at each RDC meeting.

“It can be virtual, it can be a telephone call or Zoom, I don’t care,” Lemon said, advocating a presence from the construction team.

Mayor Dory noted that the construction group meets together every two weeks, so updates should be available from those sessions, although they are not considered public meetings and no minutes are apparently kept.

At previous recent RDC meetings, representatives of Tonn and Blank construction and others were present either in person or via Zoom.

An updated construction schedule on the wellness center/YMCA project is due to be released, Mayor Dory said.

In other business, the RDC:

-- Heard Mayor Dory report that construction work has resumed on U.S. 231 between Veterans Memorial Highway and Washington Street. Construction will continue on the northbound lane through mid-September and then shift to the southbound lane. The road will only be open to northbound traffic with southbound traffic detoured. A new construction schedule should be released by the Indiana Department of Transportation next week, the mayor noted.

-- Learned from Dory that work on the Community Crossings street reconstruction project will commence next week.

-- Heard the mayor report that plans for Phase II of the Robe-Ann Park improvement project partially funded by the RDC, will be presented at the Greencastle Park Board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the park office. The design “has pretty much followed the concept plan,” Dory said.

-- Heard Cox, a Greencastle School Board member, report that some trees were being removed at Ridpath School because they were getting into utility lines. Cox also noted that the GCSC student population on the official count day recently was listed at 1,740 students, up 20 from last year. The kindergarten class was 115 to 120, he said, which is smaller than the usual 130-140 students.

Lemon and Cox were joined by Chairman Erika Gilmore, Gwen Morris and Stacie Langdon for the special session at City Hall.

The next regular session of the RDC is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27.