Sales tax could help fix downtown sidewalks

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If Springfield voters say yes Feb. 3 to three more years of the quarter-cent sales tax, it could mean much-needed sidewalk repairs for downtown. |ret||ret||tab|

Bob Horton, owner of Har-Bell Athletic Goods, 315 Park Central West, and member of the Downtown Springfield Association's board of directors, said quarter-cent sales tax revenue from the last three-year cycle is now being used to repair some sidewalks in center city.|ret||ret||tab|

He said if the tax is approved again, the money will allow additional sidewalk repairs downtown, specifically on South Avenue.|ret||ret||tab|

Mary Lilly Smith, economic development coordinator for the city of Springfield, said this year is the first year center city, which includes the areas represented by DSA, Commercial Street and the historic Walnut Street district, have specifically requested projects to be included on the quarter-cent tax project list. The organizations requested $100,000 per year, or $300,000, for the three-year cycle of the tax.|ret||ret||tab|

Horton, who took several pictures of downtown sidewalks for various presentations, said the sidewalks are in "horrendous" condition.|ret||ret||tab|

"You don't really notice it until you really look at it, as far as how bad it is. There are so many textures of sidewalks on South (Avenue), plus, the sidewalks are cracked and really unsafe, especially for women in heels ... that sidewalk that looks like there are rocks in it, that is terrible ... plus the sidewalks are chipped and broken." |ret||ret||tab|

City Manager Tom Finnie said DSA's request for $300,000 for downtown sidewalks will be included in the quarter-cent sales tax project list, as part of the city's overall sidewalk improvement plans.|ret||ret||tab|

Finnie said improving Springfield sidewalks is one of the city's goals in all areas of the city, including downtown.|ret||ret||tab|

"Those sidewalks are in very bad shape, and we need to be sure we're taking care of them ... we need to be sure that sidewalks getting such heavy uses as they are downtown, are not dangerous," Finnie said.|ret||ret||tab|

Horton said once sidewalk improvements are made on South Avenue, from the square to Elm Street, the plan is to renovate sidewalks on Walnut Street between Jefferson and Campbell avenues.|ret||ret||tab|

He said several factors were considered in determining the order in which sidewalks will be repaired, including traffic flow and where investments are being made in the downtown area. Horton said it would cost more than $1.5 million to repair all the sidewalks downtown.|ret||ret||tab|

"I think the people downtown realize that is very unrealistic (to think) that that's going to happen all in one shot," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

The three center-city districts also requested funds for additional projects.|ret||ret||tab|

Finnie said all those projects will be on the quarter-cent sales tax project list for the February vote, but he said the National Avenue improvements are part of a larger city project.|ret||ret||tab|

"We're looking at the entire length of National (Avenue), from all the way north of the interstate to the south end," Finnie said.|ret||ret||tab|

Finnie said Springfield voters have approved the quarter-cent sales tax since 1989. He believes there are three reasons voters continue to vote in favor of the tax are accountability, the fact that the city completes projects on time and on budget, and the tax's three-year sunset clause.|ret||ret||tab|

Along with the quarter-cent sales tax requests, center-city representatives also have requested money from the city's Community Development Block Grant funds. |ret||ret||tab|

Horton serves as the chair of DSA's CDBG committee, which chooses projects each year that would benefit downtown."You can't use (CDBG money) just for the promotion of downtown. It has to be used to improve, whether it be handicapped accessibility, or the safety of the sidewalks, or whatever," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Horton added that in the past, CDBG money has been used to complement sidewalk improvements, by providing handicapped accessibility and street lights around Park Central Square and on Park Central East and Park Central West.|ret||ret||tab|

He said for the coming year, the districts have decided to extend handicapped accessibility and street light improvements south on South Avenue from the square, to go along with planned sidewalk improvements on that street.|ret||ret||tab|

He said the improvements will look like those included in the Boonville Streetscape project on Boonville between McDaniel and Water streets.|ret||ret||tab|

Smith said the next cycle of CDBG funding hasn't yet begun, and decisions regarding that money usually are made in the spring. She said Springfield usually gets about $2 million in grants from the federal government. She said City Council and the Citizens' Advisory Committee on Community Development Funds set priorities on how the money will be spent. |ret||ret||tab|

Horton said both the sidewalk repair and the projects that are planned for CDBG money will be good for the revitalization of downtown.|ret||ret||tab|

"If there are nice sidewalks, people are going to want to redo their building, and if they redo their building, it's going to be a more enjoyable place for people to come down to," he said.[[In-content Ad]]