By Joshua-Paul Estabalaya
Herald Correspondent
The first phase of a revitalization project targeting 2nd Street in Sanford is nearing completion, with its second phase underway and expected to be completed by the end of November, according to the city’s website.
The project, which aims to revitalize 2nd Street’s streetscape from Sanford Avenue to Oak Avenue, divides the road into sections, each of which will be worked on separately in phases. Mayor Art Woodruff said that the streetscape project is ahead of schedule and will improve 2nd Street “for vehicles, … events and walkability.”
The first phase, which targeted 2nd Street between Sanford Avenue and Palmetto Avenue, went “extremely well,” according to Project Manager Jeff Davis.
“There [were] some minor issues due to the depth of the utilities that were easily overcome,” Davis said. “This section is now open, [but] the light poles and event electrical are not installed. The poles and receptacles are scheduled for installation toward the middle of November.”
As workers focus on the project’s second phase, the section between Palmetto Avenue and Magnolia Avenue has been closed to traffic. Davis said l that this portion of 2nd Street is “very difficult” to revitalize because of “elevation differences, electrical service excavation and utility relocations.”
In a video on Sanford’s YouTube channel, Davis said that revitalizing 2nd Street will entail lifting up the road itself and its sidewalks, narrowing the street to accommodate pedestrian access and parking, re-laying bricks, increasing parallel parking spots and adding more lighting and electrical outlets for street vendors.
City Commissioner Sheena Britton, who represents District 1, which includes the section of 2nd Street under redevelopment, did not respond to email questions about her thoughts on the project.
Davis said that the whole project is expected to cost $2,700,000.
Davis added that the impetus behind the project came from Sanford’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), a now-dissolved part of the local government whose goals included “Aggressively [pursuing] redevelopment/revitalization to enhance economic vitality and livability,” according to the city’s website.
“The [CRA] had a vision to continue the downtown beautification to draw business into our city,” Davis said.
Davis added that parts of 2nd Street, including much of its sidewalk, didn’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and therefore needed redevelopment. In their design, streetscape features such as cross-slopes and curb ramps mustn’t compromise safe movement for disabled residents.
“There is outside dining and creating a safe pedestrian pathway is conducive for businesses to thrive,” Davis said.
Woodruff said that other brick roads like 2nd Street require bricks to be re-laid to allow for smoother riding.
“[But] until there is development of the vacant lots between First Street and Seminole Blvd, there are no new street scapes planned,” Woodruff said. “The sunsetting of the [CRA] removes the key funding source for the downtown street scapes so the city will be in more of a maintenance mode.”
According to Sanford’s website, the project’s third phase will target the section between Magnolia Avenue and Park Avenue, while the fourth phase will go from Park Avenue to Oak Avenue. Davis said that the entire project is expected to be done by June.
“The experience of managing a project of this nature is always challenging,” Davis said. “There are many variables that present themselves in the course of construction… hidden surprises when you start excavating such as unknown utilities and buried objects… It is awesome when you have a great internal team and a good contractor to address the issues when they arise.”
