FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 04/26/2018 Contact: Scott Sovers, Senior Engineer
Phone: 319-356-5142
Work to begin in the Ped Mall on Monday
The Pedestrian Mall Improvements Project will kick offon Monday, April 30, 2018.
The project is part of the larger Downtown and Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan and will improve accessibility, infrastructure and the overall aesthetic of the area, featuring new amenities including lighting, plantings and accents that celebrate Iowa City’s uniqueness and cultural footprint.
As part of Phase 1,crews will startby trimming andremoving trees, several of which are in poor healthor are vulnerable to disease. The City consulted a third-party arborist, with expertise in urban environments in 2014 and again in 2017, to assess the trees and provide recommendations about which trees should be removed based on their health, vitality and location.
The project willultimatelyreplace the removed trees in addition to planting more,and willfocus on diversifying the tree types in the Ped Mall, nearly doubling the species of treescurrentlylocated in the project area. During planning, project designs were created to preserve existing trees with the best health and vigor, while also addressing concerns related to disease and infestations that will be impactful to various tree species in the future.
This project includes two phases. The first phase, located on Dubuque Street from College to Washington streets, includes the Dubuque and College Street intersection, as well as Black Hawk Mini Park, and is anticipated to be complete in fall 2018. The second and final phase, located on College Street, from Clinton to Linn streets, is expected to be finished in fall 2019.
