Lisle's Main Street countdown continues

By all indications, Lisle's Main Street will be construction-free by Dec. 1, not that anyone besides Kitty Murphy - and a whole bunch of others - is keeping track.

Murphy, owner of the The Nook, at 4738 Main St., is doing a public countdown to make sure all the construction crews working on the village's $10 million downtown renovation know she's keeping an eye on their schedule.

Friday morning, Murphy updated her makeshift sign of foam cups through the chain-link construction fence blocking her entrance to read "58 Days Left Weather Permitting."

"We're just trying to make the most of a bad situation and have a little fun with it," Murphy said. "But I know they see it because the workers come in here and try bribing me to add some days to the count. There's no sense in doing that because everyone in downtown knows when the project should be finished."

Mayor Joe Broda has seen the sign, too, and he thinks Dec. 1 is still an attainable goal.

"That Kitty. She's something else, but it's all in good fun," Broda said. "I see her sign every day. I think it's cute."

Village leaders embarked on a plan earlier this year to transform the area along Main, south of Ogden Avenue, into a "nature-focused retail, restaurant and shopping district." The work affecting most business owners is the $8.3 million narrowing of Main Street from four lanes to two from 200 feet north of Ogden Avenue to 200 feet south of Burlington Avenue.

All paving work on the east side of Main was completed in August. Broda said Friday that the paving of the west side of Main Street is to be completed by Oct. 18. Streetlight installation will follow immediately. Weather permitting, trees, decorative fencing and other plantings also will be completed by the end of October, leaving November for cleanup and finishing touches.

Broda said the recent wet weather caused some setbacks but extra crews have been added to keep the work on schedule.

"Main Street will open to two-way traffic and parking will be available on both sides of the street by the first week in December, at the latest, as long as the weather lets them keep working," Broda said.

Construction also continues on the residential developments that are expected to be the core of the downtown plan.

New England Builders is constructing 64 condominium units in the area bordered by Main Street on the west, Center Street on the east and Burlington Avenue on the south, with 15,000 square feet of retail on the first floor and a separate 11-townhouse development on the east side of Spencer Street.

Broda said the 4.5-acre Garfield Avenue Basin, just west of Main Street, is also complete thanks to a $400,000 state Department of Natural Resources grant that will provide gazebos, lighting, overlooks and warming stations.

The pathway and gazebo, along with the play area, will be built in the fourth and final phase of the plan beginning in April and lasting through June 2009.

To view more renderings and plan details visit villageoflisle.org.