Officials hold Main Street ground breaking

CAPAC — The Village of Capac had a problem with its downtown. It was in dire need of upgrades, namely Main Street itself, and to make it accessible and walkable for residents and visitors.

Alone the condition of the main road traveling through this small village. repair attempts, albeit ineffective, were tried a number of times, with no luck. The end result was a village long speed bump that forced cars to slow down while others sustained damage to their vehicles.

The Village’s aging sidewalks being non-American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant will now be made accessible thanks to Congresswoman Lisa McClain. 

McClain, who represents Michigan’s 10th district which includes the Village of Capac, secured $1.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for Capac to upgrade its pedestrian infrastructure to meet ADA requirements. 

“We appreciate the efforts of Congresswoman Lisa McClain for advocating on behalf of the Village, securing funding for this project and helping us move forward,” said Travis Youatt, Village of Capac’s Manager. 

A ground-breaking ceremony for the improvements was held on Thursday. 

“One of the best things about Michigan is its small towns, and Capac is a great example of that,” said Congresswoman McClain. “This project is going to make the downtown more welcoming for visitors and a better place for local businesses to grow. That’s exactly the kind of investment I want to fight for because when communities like Capac succeed, Michigan succeeds.”

For Capac, it was also crucial to upsize utilities and upgrade infrastructure for safety and walkability.

Not only was the downtown not up to ADA standards, but it also had drainage issues that needed to be addressed. 

Consultant Fleis & VandenBrink (F&V) of Grand Blanc provided conceptual and final design engineering services, coordinated public engagement meetings, managed bidding services and will provide construction administration.

“We’re excited to assist the Village with reinvigorating and reimagining their downtown,” said Geric Rose, PE, F&V’s engineer and project manager. “This is an exciting project for Capac that will further enhance its image as the front door to Michigan’s Thumb.”

“The Village’s goal with this project is to make the downtown area safe and walkable,” Youatt said. “We are upsizing the utilities and infrastructure as far as drainage so that we won’t have safety issues with flooding and making the sidewalks and walkways ADA compliant.” 

Youatt said the new streetscape will feature ADA accessible sidewalks and pedestrian crosswalks, complete streets and traffic calming, added trees and soft scaping, benches for seating, extra waste receptacles and continued on-street parking.

“A special thanks to the Village’s landscape designer, Brianne Soful, for helping bring this project to life by creating a landscape design that perfectly captures the Village’s vision,” Youatt continued.

“This project will revitalize our downtown and stimulate the economy so our businesses, some 100 years old, can thrive.” 

Currently, the Village’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is working with downtown business owners to improve their facades and is helping to fund these additional upgrades.  

The Village’s intent for this project is for it to be pivotal in shaping the landscape of the downtown area, thus improving social interactions, commerce, and creating a sense of community.