The city is undertaking a seven-month effort to redesign a downtown Sarasota street and park.
Construction on a Lemon Avenue streetscape project is set to begin Monday, a process expected to continue through December as the city invests $3.5 million into redesigning the downtown road and a nearby park.
The project will include the segment of Lemon Avenue between Main Street and Pineapple Avenue. Plans call for the installation of bricked streets and curbless sidewalks, mirroring the look of the Lemon Avenue mall to the north. City officials have called the project an opportunity to improve the pedestrian experience along the street.
During construction, the city will close two intersections to vehicular traffic for extended periods. The intersection of Lemon Avenue and Main Street is scheduled to be closed from mid-June to mid-July, and the intersection of Lemon Avenue and State Street is scheduled to be closed from August to September. In a newsletter, the city said the project timeline is tentative and subject to change.
‘The Lemon Avenue Streetscape project is led by the City of Sarasota to make a more vibrant downtown. Streetscape improvements will stretch from the existing Lemon Ave. mall to Pineapple Avenue and will include replacing the asphalt street with brick pavers, removing the curbs to create a more open, pedestrian-friendly experience and transforming the public area surrounding Paul Thorpe Jr. Park into an attractive, welcoming space.”
Partners
Jon F. Swift Construction is recognized as one of the area’s leading commercial contractors, serving Sarasota and Manatee County public and private sector clients for nearly 40 years.
David W. Johnston Landscape Architects (DWJA) has extensive local experience in planning and implementing streetscape/landscape projects.
Infrastructure Solution Services (ISS) provides consulting engineering services to the Southeastern United States, focusing on Florida.
More information on the Lemon Avenue project is available on a city website.The city intends to provide updates on the project every two weeks once construction begins.
Observer May 8, 2019
