Lemon Avenue project to begin next week

Construction on a Lemon Avenue streetscape project is set to begin Monday, a process expected to continue through December as the city invests $3.5 million into redesigning the downtown road and a nearby park.

The project will include the segment of Lemon Avenue between Main Street and Pineapple Avenue. Plans call for the installation of bricked streets and curbless sidewalks, mirroring the look of the Lemon Avenue mall to the north. City officials have called the project an opportunity to improve the pedestrian experience along the street.

During construction, the city will close two intersections to vehicular traffic for extended periods. The intersection of Lemon Avenue and Main Street is scheduled to be closed from mid-June to mid-July, and the intersection of Lemon Avenue and State Street is scheduled to be closed from August to September. In a newsletter, the city said the project timeline is tentative and subject to change.

The project also includes improvements to Paul Thorpe Jr. Park, located near the intersection of Lemon Avenue and Pineapple Avenue. That work is scheduled to be the final phase of the project.

More information on the Lemon Avenue project is available on a city website. The city intends to provide updates on the project every two weeks once construction begins.