Two of downtown Allen's oldest stretches of pavement are in line for a redesign, and the first contract for that work is on the City Council's consent agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The council is set to consider a $326,000 agreement with LJA Engineering Inc. for surveying, conceptual engineering and landscape architecture on what the city calls the Main Street Streetscape project. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Allen City Hall, 305 Century Parkway.
Which streets
The project covers East Main Street from Allen Drive to the DART rail line, and Butler Drive from the Allen Public Library to East Main, according to a memo from Engineering Director Chris Flanigan.
The memo says East Main has not been touched since a renovation in the mid-1980s. Butler Drive has never been fully built out: it still lacks curb and gutter and concrete paving.
Staff wrote that rebuilding the two streets would make the area easier to walk, improve sidewalk access for pedestrians and people with disabilities, and slow traffic in the middle of downtown.
What the design could include
The memo lists the ideas that will guide the concept: wider sidewalks, narrower travel lanes, planned parking, landscaping and a more attractive streetscape, in line with the city's Downtown Master Plan.
