Project Description:
Through a joint effort with the City of Flint, City of Flint DDA, City of Flint DPW and Flint Uptown Reinvestment Corporation (URC), the Saginaw Street Streetscape project was completed in 2004. The City received a streetscape enhancement grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in the amount of $785,715 with a local match for the grant by the City in the amount of $196,429. The Ruth Mott Foundation provided $100,000 for the planting of new trees and other landscape improvements. Total estimated costs for the project were $2.5 million.
The improvements for the streetscape project include:
New decorative concrete sidewalks and curbs
New decorative street lighting
New trees and tree grates
New pedestrian benches and trash receptacles
New decorative street signage
New planter openings in sidewalks with landscaping
Selective rehabilitation of historic brick street
The design for the flat work for the Saginaw Streetscape incorporates different types of concrete treatments. Stamped limestone banding will frame the sidewalk from building face to back of curb. The porcelain concrete fields between the banding were constructed with an Aluminum Oxide admixture, which illuminates the surface at night as well as give a whiter look during the day. Tool joints will be scribed at 5-foot intervals to control cracking as well as give the sidewalk a formal geometric pattern.
Background Information:
Saginaw Street represents the heart of downtown Flint. This corridor provides a connection between a number of significant commercial businesses and institutions, including Flint City Hall, the Police and Fire Departments, the Genesee County Administration Building, the University of Michigan-Flint, and the Character Inn. The Saginaw Street brick street was one of Michigan’s first brick roadways. Over the years, the surface of the bricks in the downtown area had deteriorated to the point that the condition of the street needed to be addressed. The proposed streetscape will maintain the bricks and restore Saginaw Street to its original beauty.
For Additional information Contact:
Tim Herman
Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce
(810) 232-6420 twherm@aol.com
DOWNTOWN FLINT STREETSCAPE PROJECT