City to Present Plans for Calhoun Street Enhancements

City leaders will discuss planned improvements for sections of Calhoun Street at an upcoming public meeting. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10 at the American Bar Association, 924 S. Calhoun St.

The conversion of Calhoun to two-way traffic from Washington Boulevard to Berry Street was a key recommendation of the Downtown BlueprintPlus plan to enhance downtown.

Plans call for widening Calhoun by 10 feet between Washington and Berry and adding loading zones on the east side of the street. On-street parking will be added on both sides of the street in the area of the Hilton Hotel and the Convention and Visitors Bureau office.

Existing sidewalks, trees and streetlights on Calhoun from Jefferson Boulevard to Berry will be removed. New brick sidewalks, trees and streetlights will be added along with new furniture for the public to enjoy.

The theme for the improved area will be the former trolley line that ran along Calhoun. Overhead lights will run across the street to give a sense of trolley wires. An audio system may be added that would feature theme and holiday music.

Construction could begin soon after the Three Rivers Festival. The project is expected to be complete in late December. The estimated construction cost is $2 million.