Mack Ave. Streetscape Project Begins in City

The orange barrels lining Mack Avenue in the will remain in the area through the summer as the s get underway.

DTE began installing street lighting late last month and the work continues. They began on Mack Avenue near Cadieux and are working toward Fisher Road.

City of Grosse Pointe Manager Pete Dame said the contractor for the water main project has also begun preliminary work near Mack Avenue and Cadieux Road.

Businesses along that stretch of Mack Aveue will remain open throughout construction, which will pick up during the next portion of the project: A water main will be installed under the sidewalk of Mack Avenue from Cadieux to Washington roads.

Parking along Mack Avenue in the City will be free throughout the project, Dame said. A sign highlighting that businesses are open has also been posted on Mack Avenue to alert motorists.

The $1.16 million dollar water main project aims to improve water pressure for those near Mack Avenue and is one part of the City's long term plan to improve water services to residents and businesses.

DTE's lighting work is technically a separate project that is coupled with the water main replacement, which is the Mack Avenue Streetscape Improvement project. The streetscape project is being paid for with a Michigan Department of Transportation grant, money from a trust left to the City and a $100,000 assessment to property owners along Mack Avenue.

The streetscape project has been met with some resistance and frustration by some property owners, who do not like some of the plans and feel they will interfere with business rather than help.

The work being completed now by DTE does involve orange barrels but is not restricting traffic flow. Two lanes of traffic remain open but street parking is blocked.

The new lighting fixtures will be installed in a more patterned manner to ensure consistent lighting to the stretch of Mack Avenue that is much darker than the others stretches through the Grosse Pointes.

that will replace wooden poles that were sporadically in place previously.

In addition to the new lighting fixtures, the streetscape project, most of which will happen after the water main replacement, includes:

• benches
• bike racks
• trees and other landscaping

The objective of the project is to improve the business cooridor aesthetically.