Pierce Street remains closed this holiday season between Central Avenue and First Street as construction on the First Street Streetscape Project continues with work on the basement of the nearby Westward Ho.
The project should be finished by the middle of January, after the restoration of the Westward Ho’s basement skylights, located on the sidewalk on the east side of Central Avenue, said Gail Brinkmann, City of Phoenix street transportation department project manager. The city is currently working on the basement, located underneath the sidewalk, so it can support work on the sidewalk above it. Following completion of the basement work, the remaining concrete construction, landscaping and irrigation will be finished and the final street paving should be complete by the middle of January, Brinkmann said.
Trees were delivered to the construction site Monday and will be planted soon for the City of Phoenix’s along First Street for its Streetscape Project, Brinkmann said.
Brinkmann said much of the concrete work is finished on the north side of Pierce Street and the concrete work on the south side of Pierce Street, between First Street and the alley was completed Monday.
According to the project’s construction information located on the website of the City of Phoenix Street Transportation department, the project was originally scheduled to be completed during mid to late November. That date was pushed back to mid-December at the start of the project’s second phase. Now, according to Brinkmann, the final paving of Pierce Street should be complete by mid-January.
The construction has affected business more than anticipated, said Keith Mulvin, employee at the Phoenix Public Market Urban Grocery and Wine Bar. “It’s gone on longer than expected,” Mulvin said.
Mulvin said that the market gets fewer customers because the construction makes it difficult for customers to get to the front of the store.
“People say it’s difficult to find,” he said.
Phoenix Public Market is located on the north side of Pierce, so the construction comes up to the market’s front door. At first glance it can be difficult to see a route around the construction. To show that the market and adjacent coffee shop Royal at the Market remain open through the construction, the market displays a large sign saying, “Market and Royal Coffee open during construction.”
Contact the reporter at aubree.abril@asu.edu
