West Dundee spruces up downtown streetscape

Work on the new planter boxes along Route 72 in West Dundee is expected to wrap up this week, but village officials say the dust will continue to fly with the sidewalk replacement program that is also currently underway.

Chicago-based Summit Construction is installing 14 stone planter boxes on Route 72 - also known as Main Street - from Second Avenue to the Fox River. West Dundee received both federal and state funding to complete the planter boxes and the sidewalk replacement project, Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.

The cost of the planter box project is $160,000. The grant funds cover 80 percent of the costs and the village is on the hook for the remaining 20 percent. But the village is also installing a new irrigation system, as well as purchasing the planting materials. The total cost of West Dundee's portion is about $65,000.

"This is the front door to the community and we wanted to improve the visual aspects for the business climate," Cavallaro said. "One of the purposes was to create a sense of place for pedestrians and at least a perceived sense of safety."