Brand new sewer grates on both sides of North Main Street failed in their first rainfall. A heavy downpour quickly overwhelmed the new drains installed with the new sidewalk project between Davis and Elm streets. Rainwater quickly overflowed both sides, settling on the east side, which is lower, until city workers cleared leaves covering the grates. Water covered the sidewalk in front of the Attic, but quickly receded once the drains were cleared.

Construction crews finished up work on the project on Friday, October 30, after an unexpected find below the final stretch in front of The Attic.

After removing part of the old sidewalk, crews discovered about two feet of the sidewalk abutting the building was unsupported and found four subterranean exterior windows.

A new engineering plan for that portion of sidewalk was developed, and crews poured a new wall in the cavity before completing that portion of sidewalk.

The city council on Tuesday, October 27, approved the change order, increasing the total cost of the project by $31,280. The downtown community improvement district (CID) paid for $25,512 of the additional cost.

The new ADA-compliant sidewalks were constructed with the help of a Missouri Department of Transportation TAP grant.

The new construction includes what some have referred to as a “speed bump” at the intersection of Main and Elm streets. This is a requirement that ADA sidewalks remain flat. The city expects to reduce the relative height of the crossing when two inches of asphalt are overlayed on the street along with the downtown square next spring.