In July, Rich Scott, who with his wife, Annette, owns the Great Harvest bakery on Geneva’s Third Street, could joke about the months of construction on the popular shopping strip that was keeping some customers away and inconveniencing others.
This month, merchants such as Scott greeted with relief the official end of the street’s multimillion-dollar reconstruction, while also praising the city, the tenaciousness of shoppers and the courtesy of the construction crew.
The street, which is dominated by shops, boutiques and restaurants, many housed in what were once expansive 19th Century homes, is a strong contributor to the city’s sales tax revenue. For the fiscal year ended April 30, the city’s sales tax revenue totaled nearly $3.3 million.
The project involved overhauling seven blocks from the train station north past State Street to Hamilton. The face-lift included replacing the 100-year-old water main system, upgrading its 20-year-old electrical distribution system, rebuilding the 50-year-old street and installing new, wider sidewalks.
The city funded most of the $3.5 million project, with the federal government picking up the tab for 80 percent of the estimated $2.6 million cost for rebuilding the street surface.
To visually enhance the streetscape, the project also included rustic red brick crosswalks and blue-on-beige tiled street signs embedded in the sidewalk at intersections.
“I would say my general characterization is that it wasn’t anywhere as bad as I thought it would be,” said Scott, “and that is a credit to the city and how they handled it. They always said they wanted to do this with the least disruption to the merchants. They had that mind-set and goal from the start.”
The city held nearly 40 public hearings before starting the work. The hearings were run by a team of design consultants, headed by Schaumburg-based TranSystems. They included streetscape architects Hitchcock Design Group in Naperville, historic streetscape architects Schaeffer Associates of Dixon and the local civil engineering firm of Rempe Sharpe & Associates.
The plan made accommodations for shoppers.
For example, instead of shutting down the whole street to traffic, work was done on only one side of the street and one block at a time, allowing for traffic and pedestrian lanes on the opposite side.
During construction, planners rerouted northbound traffic a block over and allowed only southbound traffic, providing for a somewhat circular flow of traffic and access from side streets to the area.
Customers also could cross from one side of the street to the other, albeit around construction barriers and on makeshift gravel paths, wood planks and metal ramps, to reach stores.
Although many businesses along the strip have grassy parkways or full lawns and side entrances, Grunwald Jewelers’ front stoop abuts the sidewalk, and Daniel Grunwald had expected some difficulty as the street and sidewalk disappeared.
He found, instead, that his sales rose.
“The workers made every effort to keep access open, and our customers trudged through mud, rock and concrete. They came through it all,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it. It was dirty and messy, and so many things you had to put up with, but the people involved just did an incredible job.” Even Sherie McGowan, owner of Cocoon home accessory and furnishing store, marvels that she came away with several good memories. She cited in particular the kindness shown by the construction crew from Itasca-based Ganna Construction Co. toward shoppers.
“One time the conditions were really bad right up to our entrance, and the workmen put a plank down and were helping customers across,” McGowan said, echoing similar comments by numerous merchants and their customers.
Geneva’s public works director, Tom Talsma, praised the collaborative effort and patience, while applauding the promotions and events coordinated by the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
Early on, the chamber began a Pedal Geneva campaign emphasizing the city’s bicycle paths and Fox River Trail. The campaign included April’s “Art Bikes on Parade,” aimed at luring shoppers and visitors.
It involved the display of 10 artist-decorated bicycles installed at locations throughout the city. The creations were auctioned off later in the summer.
Merchants embraced the decorating theme with adorned and refashioned bicycles popping up through the spring and summer in front of stores, in display windows and even on walls.
City officials and merchants say resident Art Kaindl, a retired civil engineer with the Cook County Highway Department who was hired by the city to serve as a liaison between the two groups, deserves a lot of credit for the way the project was handled.
Along with his daily attendance on site addressing problems, Kaindl kept everyone updated through a weekly Third Street Times newsletter distributed throughout the city.
“It was a great experience when you consider that in a little less than 300 days, the construction company did all that work,” Kaindl said.
The city is awaiting word about state funding to complete the $1 million final phase, which will add amenities to the tree-lined street, including bicycle racks, water fountains, benches and granite inlays engraved with city historical data.
