CLARE NORMOYLE
Special to The Leader
In recent months, Fredonia hasn’t been itself.
Sidewalks have been torn up, roads have been blocked off and lots of unfamiliar people with hard hats on have been walking the streets.
This is due to the Downtown Placemaking Project, Fredonia’s newest ongoing renovation. Although this project is mainly affecting Barker Common, it’ll also upgrade the streetscape around Fredonia’s Opera House, the public library and the surrounding businesses in the area.
The project began back in November of 2020.
Thus far, the company in charge of the project, the Buffalo Construction Consultants, have replaced storm drains, torn up and replaced the sidewalks and curb/handicap walk offs, added new lighting, incorporated more parking and even repaved the roads around both parks.
“In the next two weeks we will be starting lighting, and milling and paving the roads,” said Buffalo Construction Consultants Superintendent, John Gallo.
The Village of Fredonia’s website has been consistently updated since the start of the project, to help keep those curious in the loop.
The most recent update to the website stated that as of Sept. 17, “…we will have most of the colored concrete paving complete along with sidewalks in front of One Park Place. Next week we will be starting new storm drainage. Most of the work on Day Street is complete. Some construction has been started [in] front of Village Hall, along with work on Church Street in front of Family Church Fredonia and First United Methodist Church.”
The Downtown Placemaking Project has caused several events that usually take place downtown to be moved to other locations.
The most recognizable event being the weekly farmers market that has previously been held on Church Street. The market was relocated to the parking lot behind Darwin’s fitness center on Water Street for the remaining summer weeks; the market is now at it’s Winter Market site in the Masonic Temple on East Main Street.
That said, some Fredonia residents are fed up with the ruckus this project has caused within the Fredonia community.
SUNY Fredonia student and village resident Samantha Garcia said, “[the construction] does cause a lot of traffic build up and definitely can make me feel a bit agitated.”
With no word on whether or not the project is moving forward ahead of schedule, a date for when the construction is projected to finish has been loosely set.
“The project end date, which isn’t set in stone, is Oct. 30. But you can’t really ever have that with construction because it’s very give or take,” said a spokesperson from the Village of Fredonia’s Clerk’s office.
If all goes according to plan, downtown Fredonia could be back to better than normal as early as Halloween.