Nearly $617,000 could be put into revitalizing downtown Belvidere

BELVIDERE (WREX) -

By Tori Clark

 

Posted: Feb 15, 2016 7:34 PM CST

BELVIDERE (WREX) -

A $600,000-plus plan to rehabilitate downtown Belvidere could be approved during the Belvidere City Council meeting Monday, February 15.
Small business owners in the city's downtown want leaders to consider them in these construction plans.

This month marks the 3rd since Lloyd Roberts has been in business. He owns a vacuum shop in downtown belvidere called Little Lloyd's Vacuums and he's nervous about the city's new plans.

Roberts says, "The real fear is as business owners is that we won't have the customer base coming back."

Belvidere City Council members are expected to take a final vote on a nearly $617,000 bid from Alliance Contractors to rehabilitate downtown. The project is called 2016 State Streetscape Rehabilitation Project. State street from the railroad tracks all the way north to Madison street would get a makeover. This will replace downtown's bricks with concrete, the same bricks that Belvidere Mayor Mike Chamberlain says are hazardous to the public.

Mayor Chamberlain states, "It is important that provide a good place to live and the kind of place you can be proud of."

This plan will also bring the city up to code with "Americans with Disabilities Act" mandates. Belvidere will have ramps on every corner. The city would also add planters throughout downtown.  Business owners would have to work around all the construction.

"On a day to day basis there will be some parking on the street where they are working that will be affected," Mayor Chamberlain continues, "but there will not be blocked access to parking lots."

Belvidere's Public Works Director, Brent Anderson, also weighed in on the plans.

Anderson says, "There might be some lane reductions during construction and stuff but no it will not close off the streets."

These months of construction, Llloyd says are not good for the vacuum business.

Lloyd explains, "That could actually cause a lot of heartache."

Spring cleaning is his high point... the months that construction will most likely take place. He wants city leaders to be conscious of his desire to stay in business as they try to build a better path for downtown Belvidere.

Construction could start as soon as March and go is expected to last until late June. Right before Belvidere's Heritage Days Festival. 

Above is from:  http://www.wrex.com/story/31227203/2016/02/15/nearly-617000-could-be-put-into-revitalizing-downtown-belvidere