The wait is over for downtown merchants and shoppers alike as construction crews will begin work on the downtown Mission improvement project.
According to the schedule listed on the district’s website on Monday, workers will be removing all the trees along three blocks of First Avenue.
The next day, Phase 1 on the project (Horne Street to Welton Street) begins with sidewalk demolition. Work on that block is expected to continue until May 31.
Phase 2 of the project (Welton Street to James Street) takes place May 31 to July 19, while Phase 3 (James Street to Grand Street) runs July 19 to Aug. 30.
Line painting for all three blocks will occur in early September.
Typical hours of construction will be Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and all businesses will remain open during the process.
“This is a unique situation. None of us have actually been in this situation before,” said Jamie Hayes, executive director of the Mission Downtown Business Association.
“I know that I have spoken to some businesses who are quite excited about this project. They know it is going to be disruptive but they are already planning marketing campaigns.”
The association wants to encourage customers to still come downtown during the construction phases, rather than staying away.
Hayes said she has been told by the contractor that customers will still have access to all businesses.
“We expect the transition to be as smooth as possible.”
The new streetscape design includes many elements to improve the overall pedestrian experience and safety, including more and new street trees with tree grates and irrigation; a moderate widening of the sidewalk and slight decrease in the width of vehicle travel lanes; new street furniture including benches, litter bins, bike racks and bollards that are both functional and attractive; new street lights with brackets for banners, hanging baskets and irrigation; and more.