Portion of Dubuque Street in Iowa City considered for reconstruction

A section of street in downtown Iowa City is under consideration for reconstruction as part of the Downtown Streetscape Master Plan, with bid letting starting Dec. 21. Iowa City passed a resolution on Nov. 21 approving the project manual and cost estimate for The Dubuque Street Reconstruction Project, which will rehabilitate Dubuque Street between Washington Street and Iowa Avenue, and will include the reconstruction of the alley between Dubuque and Linn Streets.  The $3,750,000 price tag includes replacing approximately 930 linear feet of existing storm sewer, installing around 3,850 square yards of new street and sidewalk pavement, adding 400 linear feet of new sanitary sewer, and establishing a subdrain and roof drain trunk line. Additionally, it includes the installation of a new water main, hydrants, fittings, and services.  "This section of Dubuque Street came to attention of the City sometime in 2015, after the Downtown Streetscape Masterplan was developed," said Alin Dumachi, senior civil engineer with Iowa City, in an email to the CBJ. "Dubuque Street Reconstruction was added to the Capital Improvement Project Fund (CIP) in 2015. "This project was added to the CIP Fund because this corridor requires critical utility upgrades -- almost 100 year old water main and sanitary sewer -- as well as pavement and sidewalk replacement," he added. The project also encompasses the setup of new lighting, irrigation, electric infrastructure, and parking meters, as well as the incorporation of attractive landscaping elements such as plantings, pavers, mulch, limestone blocks, bicycle racks, litter receptacles, and benches. Improvements to the alley and the retail environment with attractive streetscapes will also be included.

What about retailers?

There are a number of retailers and eateries located along the proposed construction strip, whose traffic will be hampered by the work going on – several restaurants on Dubuque Street have outdoor café options when the weather is nice, and these will either no longer operate or be rendered obsolete by atmospheric pollution from the work. In response, Iowa City staff have proposed waiving the annual fee for cafés located on Dubuque Street between Iowa Avenue and E. Washington Street, along with any café located on the southwest corner of Dubuque Street and Iowa Avenue. The contract for the project will be awarded Jan. 2, with tentative construction dates running from spring to fall 2024, contingent on project approval. More information can be found at https://www.icgov.org/government/departments-and-divisions/public-works/engineering/construction-projects.