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NEWS
Business owners have mixed opinions on 4th Avenue changes
Old Village Roaster coffee shop owner Pete Cooper says he looks forward to the upcoming changes planned for Fourth Avenue as part of the Old Main Corridor Project, as he sits at a table in his shop Thursday, June 12, 2008. Cooper, who has operated his Fourth Avenue shop for 13 years, said, "Once it's done, it's going to be a great improvement for Huntington."
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HUNTINGTON -- The city's plan to revitalize the Old Main Corridor from 8th to 10th streets along 4th Avenue has gotten mixed reviews by business owners who are concerned the construction will hurt their businesses.
Charles Holley, Huntington's director of planning and development, said next week the city will request bids for the 4th Avenue construction. The project will include widening the traffic lanes, new sidewalks, new brick and concrete elements, new crosswalks and new landscape.
| Click for map of proposed changes. |
Construction is scheduled to start in the next few months and be finished by the year's end.
The biggest change will be a new traffic pattern on 4th Avenue. Holley said the two-block section of road will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes, with one of those a center turning lane. Some store owners expressed concerns that the new pattern will negatively affect their businesses.
Vicki Rosenberg, owner of Village Collection at 4th Avenue and 9th Street, said she is concerned her customers will be unable to enter her shop with street closings. She hoped the entire street will not be closed during construction.
"Any kind of street construction will hurt businesses," she said. "I want to make sure the street stays open and the city doesn't close down the whole street. You've got to make sure people can get to your business."
Bill Moore, manager of the George H. Wright's clothing shop at 10th Street and 4th Avenue, had a more positive outlook on the construction.
"Everything's regressed in the last few years, so I think the changes will be good," Moore said.
Moore views the construction as a positive improvement for the downtown and welcomes the change wholeheartedly. He hoped, however, the new traffic change doesn't affect the driving conditions downtown. Wide driving lanes and easy motoring are good characteristics of the downtown, he said.
Holley said the highlight of the design, by Stantec of Charleston, is between 9th and 10th streets. The design showcases the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center and other historic buildings in downtown Huntington.
"The idea was to feature the Keith Albee and draw attention to it," Holley said. "(Changing the traffic pattern) makes an area to drop off people and creates a public gathering space. There's a lot of nice architecture in the downtown and we'd like to showcase it."
Directly in front of the Keith Albee, the number of traffic lanes will be reduced to one in each direction, with no center turning lane. That area also will feature brick and iron hardscape elements, a brick-lined crosswalk, brick benches and several sections designated for trees, shrubs and flowers.
Pete Cooper, owner of the Old Village Roaster next to the Keith Albee, said he also is concerned about the traffic change but believes the construction will do more help than harm.
"Operating during the construction time will be a bit difficult, but we do need the upgrades on 4th Avenue. We've needed them for the last 30 years," Cooper said. "Once it's done, it's going to be a great improvement for Huntington."
The city plans to extend the sidewalks to create an outdoor plaza environment that allows for businesses to hold sidewalk sales and for cafes to have outdoor dining. The area, Holley said, will promote outdoor shopping and eating, pedestrian traffic and increased business opportunities.
When complete, Cooper hopes to put tables and an awning outside so customers can enjoy their fresh-brewed coffee on the sidewalk.
Deron Runyon, loan and tax manager for the Huntington-Ironton Empowerment Zone , said 4th Avenue shop owners received information about the construction and the conceptual plans. However, none of the businesses owners interviewed said they received information about the construction.
Holley said the city is moving forward with the project but plans to make some changes before it goes to construction.
Holley said the ideas for the project came from three public meetings over the last year with professional architects, Marshall University personnel, 4th Avenue business and property owners and residents. The city is in negotiations to secure an antique clock for the area, he said. Although the section will be losing two traffic lanes, Holley said parking spaces will not be affected.
Major improvements also are planned on 4th Avenue between 8th to 9th streets. Holley said that section soon will receive a mid-block crosswalk from the Evny nightclub to the city-controlled parking lot at the corner of 8th Street and 4th Avenue.
The section also will receive ornamental lighting, improved sidewalks and new landscape. Holley said a number of landscape elements will be integrated into the area in front and around the city-controlled parking lot.
The project is expected to cost about $800,000, which will be covered under several grants, Holley said. The city has raised $850,000 from the Community Development Block Grant, Huntington-Ironton Empowerment Zone and Tax-Increment Financing, he said.
Another two-block project along the Old Main Corridor between 14th Street and Hal Greer Boulevard is expected to start next spring and cost about $500,000. That section of 4th Avenue is called the Old Main Corridor because it links Marshall University and its historic Old Main area of campus to the core of downtown Huntington.
The project calls for widened sidewalks, the same traffic pattern scheduled on the 8th- to 10th-streets project and increased lighting.
