(PLATTSBURGH- Thursday April 6th 2023) - After two years of planning and design, the Margaret Street Construction project is set to break ground on Monday April 17th and will be substantially complete by the end of 2023. Rifenburg Construction, Inc. will be leading the construction efforts supported by C&S Companies. Ongoing construction updates will be made available to the public on my.cityofplattsburgh-ny.gov.
The public should follow directions from flagging personnel, as well as instructions posted on signs, message boards and detours in all areas around the project site. Drivers are reminded to not follow construction vehicles too closely as they can make frequent stops and are designed to move freely within a construction site.
“Residents, visitors, and businesses should be aware that construction at this level is going to take significant coordination and communication. As we said from the beginning, this is one of the biggest and most important infrastructure investment projects the City of Plattsburgh has seen in quite some time; it’s going to cause disruptions,” said Mayor Christopher Rosenquest. “We have multiple people managing several platforms for communicating and receiving communications about this project.”
Parking
Parking will continue to be available in all downtown parking lots and on-street on sections of Margaret, Brinkerhoff, and Court streets. Certain parking spots will be limited in the immediate area of active construction.
“It was initially anticipated that we were going to have to take whole parking lots offline to support this project,” says Rosenquest. ”At this point, the impact to parking will be limited to the areas immediately adjacent to the areas of construction during this project. Based on the latest parking counts, we will still have plenty of available parking in the SAD during peak usage and are looking at a minimum interruption to parking. However, we’re ready to make changes to parking if needed.”
One-Way Traffic
Throughout the duration of the project, the section of Margaret Street between Broad Street and Cornelia Street will be temporarily made one way for all traffic. The direction of one-way traffic flow will vary based on construction at the time and any changes to direction will be communicated ahead of the change. The public will experience delays around the project site and are encouraged to pay attention to signs and flagging personnel as well as stay connected to project announcements through my.cityofplattsburgh-ny.gov.
Business Impact
Access to buildings and businesses will remain open throughout the duration of the project.
“Aside from securing this aged infrastructure, our priority focus is ensuring businesses can continue operating as normally as possible and residents retain safe and easy access to their homes,” says Rosenquest. “Our construction team, project managers, Senior Planner, Community Engagement Coordinator, and staff in my office will all be monitoring and reacting to concerns as they arise.”
City staff and the project team are scheduling public outreach meetings to connect with those who will be immediately impacted by the project. Business owners, property owners, and downtown residents are encouraged to attend in an effort to stay connected with project progress.
“At the end of this construction season, we will be looking at a revitalized and more attractive historic downtown business district,” adds Rosenquest. “Between the Arts Park, SRT phases II and III, the DRI Riverwalk, and Margaret Street revitalization, we’re pushing thriving, beautiful, and accessible downtown. We want residents and visitors to be proud of our community and that’s what we’re investing in.”
Weekly updates on the project will be posted every Friday morning on my.cityofplattsburgh-ny.gov. If you would like to receive these updates directly to your inbox, please create an account on my.cityofplattsburgh-ny.gov. Questions and comments about the project can be sent to margaretstreet@cscos.com
