Aldermen OK upgrades for uptown Jackson

Uptown Jackson soon will receive several upgrades, both functional and cosmetic, thanks to several city projects the board of aldermen approved Monday night.

The board first approved $4,200 to Strickland Engineering to help engineer the Uptown Event Power Project that will provide a dozen new temporary power pedestals to be used during special events.

“These will provide temporary power for things like Jackson in Bloom, Jackson Oktoberfest and Homecomers,” Jackson director of utilities Don Schuette said.

The installments on the east side of the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse likely will be put in during the Missouri Department of Transportation’s roundabout project because the sidewalk will be torn up anyway, Schuette said.

It is hoped the ones on the west side will be completed later this fall if the engineering team doesn’t find any unforeseen obstacles.

Each of the temporary power pedestals will provide up to about 200 amperes of electricity, Schuette said.

The board also authorized $7,200 in engineering services to Strickland Engineering relative to the Uptown Historic Lighting Extension Project, which will add about 16 lights to the uptown area on top of the 14 that will be installed as part of the roundabout project.

The lights will be aesthetically consistent with the existing ones.

The board approved a payment of $43,000 for the finishing touch on the city’s new civic center — a new sign.

“We put it out to bid but did not receive any bids on the sign project,” staff engineer Erica Bogenpohl said. “So the price was negotiated with the original contractors, Brockmiller Construction.”

The 44-foot-long, 4-foot-tall sign will say “Clark Sports and Recreation Complex,” in reference to the civic-center facilities and the ballfields nearby.

During Monday night’s meeting, residents previously at odds with the city over a property dispute in the Annwood Estates subdivision granted the necessary easements for the city to replace a deteriorating retaining wall.

Once the parties were in agreement, the board also approved the plan to replace the wall along Brittany Drive, which has been designed by Koehler Engineering and Land Surveying but will be built by city staff.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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