Streetscaping work set to begin Monday in downtown Streator

As Streator Councilman Ed Brozak warned citizens of construction set to begin downtown next week and continue throughout the summer, he was quick to add: “It’ll be worth it.”

After it was initially slated to begin in 2018, contractors will begin work on the downtown streetscaping project Monday, Brozak said.

The streetscaping project will extend the 300 East Main Street concept block that features brick bump outs, coal cart planters and period street lights down Main Street from the Vermilion River to Wasson Street.

The city received a $487,960 grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement program and kicked in $185,000 of its own funds from motor fuel taxes to get the project started this spring.

The beautification also features embedded brick crosswalks, hanging planters, wayfinding signs and the addition of benches and garbage cans, among other features.

“We’re going to have the nicest downtown in the area,” Brozak said.

The project, however, will not include the transition of Vermillion and Monroe streets from one-way to two-way streets. That plan was removed from the initial concept in order to cut the cost of the overall project.

City Engineer Jeremy Palm said the council can readdress the need for making Vermillion and Monroe into two-way streets at a future time.

Giving the downtown a signature characteristic, cobalt blue ceramic and glass bricks created by Gavin Finefield of Finefield Pottery in Streator will be placed every 5 feet in the middle of the ribbon. The blue was selected to match the color in Streator’s seal and blue was one of the colors of the cullet pile at Owens-Glass factory.

The streetscaping project was on hold as a summer 2020 bid came in $185,000 higher than originally projected in May 2018 when the city received the state grant, but the council approved the measure in November to kick in motor fuel tax funds and move forward with the project.