More Funds Approved for Main Street Promenade; Completion Expected This Summer

The Main Street Promenade is costing the city of Lemon Grove a little more than originally planned, as more than $170,000 was recently requested to complete the project.

The Department of Development Services asked council for the funds at the April 2 meeting, citing delays due to outside agencies, unforseen field conditions, field changes and utility relocation costs as the primary reasons for the extra money.

Council unanimously approved the $173,150 budget increase, taking the total cost from $1,546,850 to $1,720,000.

City Manager Graham Mitchell told Patch that the extra funds were necessary due to some unexpected issues which arose during construction.

“There was some underground utility work that wasn’t identified until we actually dug up the street," Mitchell said of one of the issues.  "Doing construction work, sometimes you find out that there’s more to be done."

Mitchell further explained that crews had to relocate a transponder box to resolve the issue.

Despite that little hiccup,

The $1.7 million promenade project is part of a larger, $5.1 effort to revamp Lemon Grove’s downtown core.  The project is being funded with grants from the state infill infrastructure program, smart growth initiative dollars awarded by SANDAG, and the city's redevelopment agency monies.

Once completed, the promenade will be a linear park linked to a transit center in the heart of the city, Mitchell has told Patch in the past.

“It takes an existing road within the city that was underutilized and creates an urban park,” he said.  “The park is between new housing being built and the transit center.”

The city has also said that the new promenade will attract seasonal events such as farmers’ markets, and will offer plenty of places for residents and visitors to relax or play.