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Downtown lighting project gets RDC financial support
A project designed to light up and power up downtown Greencastle has won the support of the city’s Redevelopment Commission (RDC).
The $734,300 project for lighting improvements and an electrical upgrade will be funded by a $200,000 Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grant and a $534,300 local match from the RDC.
Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center Executive Director Kristin Clary briefed the RDC at its recent meeting, explaining that the county is part of a region that received funding through the READI, targeting lighting improvements in its various communities.
Noting that the project is something that has been in the works for two years, Clary noted that it is “a natural extension of what has already been done downtown.”
“People say that it’s so dark downtown, and they’re not wrong,” she added in introducing the project.
Current Clerk-Treasurer and Mayor-elect Lynda Dunbar called the project “a really good start on improvements that need to happen downtown.”
“The Chamber (of Commerce) has been coming to City Hall asking how we can improve the electrical outlets downtown for First Friday,” Dunbar added. “Bands come in and it’s a problem.”
Mayor Bill Dory, who was in charge of Main Street Greencastle when the electrical outlets currently in place were installed around the square about 30 years ago, explained that those “were designed for Christmas lights, not food vendors.” He said vendors routinely plug in a 30-amp service and it blows the fuse.
As presented by Clary, the proposed lighting and power project includes:
• Replacing festival lights on South Indiana Street by placing the lights on poles and removing them from the buildings. Estimated cost $100,000.
• Installing festival lights on West Franklin Street, lighting the stage area only. Estimated cost $45,000.
• Adding 16 decorative street lights for North Jackson Street (already in the city’s TIF plan). Estimated cost $204,200.
• Adding two decorative street lights for the Columbia Street parking lot (already in the city’s TIF plan). Estimated cost $36,000.
• Adding two decorative street lights for East Walnut Street at the library. Estimated cost $20,000.
• Lighting of the silo mural along Veterans Memorial Highway (EDIT funds allocated). Estimated cost $36,400.
• Electrical improvements to the courthouse lawn for additional power on the north and east sides. Estimated cost $25,000.
• Electrical improvements for streets around the square, repairing outlets on all four sides of the square and adding some additional outlets on the north and east sides. Estimated cost $40,000.
• Mobilization (10 percent of estimated $507,300 construction cost), $51,000.
• Contingency (15 percent of estimated $507,300 construction cost), $76,000.
• Design and inspection costs, $100,000.
Additionally, optional project ideas include:
• Decorative street lights for the North Jackson Street parking lot (TIF funding likely). Estimated cost $39,000.
• Lighting of the bicentennial mural on the west side of Dick’s Barbershop. Estimated cost $3,000.
• Architectural flood lighting of the courthouse (county may pursue this idea). Estimated cost $7,500.
During the initial discussion RDC member and City Councilor Stacie Langdon noted that with the wellness center project under way and other expenses, the RDC was “spending more money than we have in years.” She asked if there would be any way to scale back the lighting project and its expenses.
However, Mayor Dory pointed out that to secure the $200,000 grant, the RDC would need to commit the local match before the end of the year.
“I do agree we need more downtown lighting,” Langdon said, calling the project “a great use of these dollars.”
Dory reminded her and the rest of the RDC group -- Erika Gilmore, Gwen Morris, Gary Lemon and Brian Cox -- that the commission sees the city TIF (Tax Increment Financing) District bring in $4 million a year in capturing the incremental tax increases within the district.
Cox made the motion to support the project by “up to $534,000” for the local match. Following a second by Morris, the funding was unanimously approved.
The next scheduled meeting of the RDC is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20 at City Hall.