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Downtown revitalization nearing completion in Dennison

| October 22, 2024

Work continues on Grant Street in Dennison, which is getting new sidewalks, curbs, and a fresh coat of pavement as part of a multi-million dollar downtown facelift. (Photos provided by the Village of Dennison)

DENNISON (WJER) (Oct. 22, 2024) – The centerpiece of the multi-million dollar downtown facelift is scheduled for installation next week.

Mayor Greg DiDonato says electrical work is underway for the Victorian-style town clock that will be going up in front of Village Hall.

“Basically, your pole is 9 feet – your Victorian pole – and the clock itself, the head is 3 feet, and it’s LED and it’s the two-faced kind that will be seen from two ways…

“It wasn’t in the plans. We didn’t initially realize how much support we’d have, but as we got close to having everything we promised to do including the new train bicycle racks, we just thought how that would be a nice touch, and we’re so blessed, again, to get the support that we did.”

Meanwhile, storm sewer work is wrapping up along Grant Street, where crews have been installing new sidewalks, curbs, and will lay down a fresh coat of asphalt in the coming days.

“We have some concern because of the dry weather, the drought, that there could be some settlement, so we’re only gonna put the first layer on – which will be  like blacktop road – but we’re not gonna finish the crosswalks, the parking lines. There will be a double line put on to get through winter, so then first thing in the spring, probably late April or May, we’ll put the final coat on.”

Grant money and donations are paying for those improvements, the clock, and other decorative elements downtown, which got new street lights last year.

“We really are grateful. We initially were hoping for six benches with the word Dennison on them, those gorgeous Victorian benches. We have 24 now. We were hoping to get trash cans just for Grant Street, and we ended up getting enough money raised to do Grant and Center Street, where the depot is.”

The project also includes 56 engraved sidewalks inlays that the village sold for $5,000 each.

 

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