DAYTON — The upcoming NATO Parliamentary Assembly has sped up a couple large downtown Dayton construction projects.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6, the orange barrels and traffic cones around Main Street and Third Street are streetscape improvements that will be completed before the NATO summit.
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Huge chunks of concrete at the intersection of Third and Main Streets are being dug up and hauled away.
“We’re getting rid of the brick pavers, we’re adding planter boxes, which you’ve seen around downtown,” Dayton City Engineer David Escobar said.
The improvements on Main Street are two blocks long, but there are several other block-long projects on West Third Street.
These improvement projects will pay off in the long run, but they could be considered a nuisance right now.
“It’s not easy just to walk across the street,” Caryl Blevins, Dayton resident, said.
Blevins says she’s trying to stay positive, but between the construction and NATO procedures, walking and parking in Dayton is getting confusing.
“I’m hoping this is going to be done quickly and I imagine it will,” Blevins said.
These projects were planned years ago, and probably would have happened this year anyway. The city decided to move them up to finish before the NATO summit.
“It’s an installation that will be appreciated well past NATIO and was planned well before NATO,” Escobar said. “So it’s a worthwhile investment.”
Not to mention, it’s a good deal for Dayton taxpayers. These projects have about a $2 million price tag, but the city found federal funding that is paying about 80% of the bill.
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