Downtown Plymouth is closing in on finishing a $2 million streetscape overhaul aimed at keeping its vacancy rate low and its vibrancy rate high.
"The last time the streets were done was in 1995 and it was starting to a look a little old," says Plymouth DDA Director Tony Bruscato. "And of course there's competition in downtowns for customers. Farmington and Northville and other cities were upgrading their downtown streets. You have to be competitive. You want people to come to your downtown and look at it favorably."
Bruscato likes to think it's just the latest in a line of good decisions that have kept Plymouth's vacancy rates among the lowest, even in the most barren economic conditions, and businesses thriving day and night.
"We've been doing pretty well so we want to keep it that way," he says.
The streetscape projects include repaving, infrastructure changes, the installation of LED traffic lights on arms instead of wires, more walkable and safe crosswalks, and other work.
Some of the work was done last year; everything will be completed this year, the first phase finishing by May 27 in time for the first of Plymouth's outdoor concerts. They attract 3,000 - 5,000 people, Bruscato says.
The second and final phase will be completed in June, he says.
By then, every street in the downtown will have been touched, he says.
Source: Tony Bruscato, director, Plymouth Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine
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