Utility relocation work began this week on the sidewalks surrounding the Levinson construction site in downtown Noblesville.
Starting next week, there will be a staggered closure of the east-west alley to vehicles and pedestrians from June 10 to 17 to continue utility relocation work and to construct the overhead protection walkway – working from Eighth Street to Ninth Street. The alley should open up again to pedestrians by June 17, but will be closed to vehicles until construction is completed.
The closure is needed to provide safe accessibility for pedestrians in the east-west alley and the south alley that connects to Conner Street. Police and fire will still have access to the alley if emergency or medical service is necessary. The city has converted a parking space on Ninth Street to 15-minute loading and unloading to help with the loss of the alley and converted another parking space on the east side of Ninth Street to be ADA-compliant.
“A project of this size in an urban environment is extremely challenging – and we appreciate everyone’s patience as construction has gotten underway,” said Noblesville Deputy Mayor Steve Cooke. “The city and Rebar Development are working with affected businesses regarding the closure and ways to mitigate the impact on their businesses during construction. In addition, the construction team will be providing assistance with trash service by providing a dumpster for businesses along the alley.”
Two street closure items will be presented to the Noblesville Board of Works and Public Safety at its next meeting on Tuesday, June 11. While these closures have not been approved yet, the city wants to share the potential closure information with the public:
Ninth Street closure
This closure is necessary to expand the sewer under the street so that service for existing businesses and residents is not impacted by the new residents and businesses.
Work is expected to take two weeks and will occur in mid-June through the end of the month. Ninth Street will be closed between Conner Street and Maple Avenue. There may be short periods of limited access along the sidewalk on the east side of Ninth Street when work is taking place across the alley. The city will create a temporary 15-minute parking space on Conner Street near the south alley to allow for deliveries and quick stops.
The construction team anticipates this to be only full closure of Ninth Street during construction.
Maple Avenue closure
This will be a full closure throughout construction to the public. By closing Maple Avenue, this allows Eighth and Ninth streets to remain open during construction. This closure affects only three on-street parking spaces on the south side of Maple Avenue. The public is asked to use Cherry Street as a detour.
“During the closure, the north lane will be designated for construction equipment and vehicles. The south lane will only be used by public safety vehicles,” said Cooke. “The city wants to reassure the public that this closure will not affect the Noblesville Fire Department’s ability to respond to calls for service.”
The public is invited to follow Noblesville NOW on Facebook and Twitter to stay informed about this and other projects, or visit NoblesvilleNOW.com for the latest version of the downtown parking map that better identifies available parking during construction of the Levinson.