Workers are busy landscaping at the corner of Market and Marion streets on The Square in Athens. The construction is part of a project also meant to improve pedestrian safety and handicap accessibility downtown.

With the holidays sneaking up, city officials and workers on The Square in Athens are preparing for upcoming events and holiday shoppers.

The current construction is part of a downtown landscaping project funded by a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant that is meant to also improve pedestrian safety and handicap accessibility.

The project, being completed by Morrell Engineering, Premier Structures Inc. and others, includes a number of improvements to four corners of The Square such as bulb-outs with electrical box additions, added green space, new striping, landscaping, Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance, new energy-efficient lightning, safer pedestrian crossings, four more parking spaces and corrected turning radii. The Water Department has also been replacing old cast-iron water meters and installing lines to keep water pressure from dropping downtown, which will better facilitate the potential for loft apartments with sprinklers, officials said.

The project’s estimated cost is $488,750, with the city contributing a 20 percent match or $97,750. It also received a $40,000 donation from community partners Athens Main Street, Athens Rotary Club and Athens-Limestone County Tourism, which will cover the new lightning installed by the county around the Limestone County Courthouse as well as the electrical box for events on Marion Street.

Taz Morrell of Morrell Engineering has been providing updates on the construction. Morrell recently said the exterior of Market Street would be done by Oct. 1. He said work has started on the interior of Marion Street and will be done by Oct. 20 for the annual Storytelling Festival.

Work remaining after those portions of The Square are completed include the interior and exterior of Jefferson Street, the exterior of Washington Street and the interior of Market Street, according to city officials.

There will be no work on the merchant sides after the first of October, thus preventing disruption of holiday shopping and some events, and the city will continue to meet with the contractor to get updates on the project’s timeline, officials said.

Holly Hollman, Athens communications specialist and grant coordinator, said workers have had some rain delays this week, but the landscaping on the exterior of Market should be done by the end of next week.

“The lights have been installed and are on at night on Marion Street exterior,” she said.

Hollman said the Public Works Department has been using its street sweeper to remove dirt and mud before downtown events that have been occurring during construction, such as the 9/11 Run and Fridays after Five.

Tere Richardson, executive director of Athens Main Street, said officials don’t think Storytelling or any of the Bicentennial Christmas Open House events will be hurt by the construction.

“In fact, Marion and Market streets should be very attractive for the holidays with the new lamp posts installed,” Richardson said, adding she got a message from Willow Cottage Antiques owner Mary Box about the lamp posts. Box’s message said, “Came in this morning to see the lamp posts are up! I love, love them!”

Downtown parking

Officials said some downtown parking spaces for customers and those using the courthouse have been converted to 3-hour parking for the duration of construction. The six lots on the east side of Marion Street by Rogers Portraits are 3-hour parking as well as parking on the back side of the Marion Street merchants in the one row immediately next to the alley.

“Residents and patrons of downtown should know the city of Athens, Morrell Engineering, PSI, Distinctive Landscaping and Athens Main Street are working hard to minimize the impact of construction on parking,” Richardson said. “After Oct. 1, the work will only be taking place on the interior of The Square and impact just five places at a time. So, there will be plenty of places to park to visit their favorite merchant or eating establishment.”

Richardson said there are lots of fun activities planned for the Bicentennial Christmas Open House weekend of Nov. 16-18.

“We expect it will be beautiful downtown,” she said.