Cold Spring Approves Feasibility Study on Downtown Project

COLD SPRING - The Cold Spring City Council approved a feasibility study on a downtown upgrade project.

The downtown streetscape project will be included in the city feasibility report. The project would upgrade Red River Avenue in 2016 and Main Street in 2017. The rough cost estimate is slightly over $1,143,000. A large portion of the costs ($275,000) would be for the city to bury power lines on the Red River Avenue corridor.

Improvements on Red River Avenue in the project inclue updating streets/sidewalks, adding granite benches, more parking, and putting in more trees and bike racks.

The city would also build granite gateway entry signs on County Road 2 at the intersection of Highway 23 and at County Road 50. The downtown committee says the gateways would welcome and indicate to motorists that they are entering a downtown area.

Cold Spring also has the option to do a project with no streetscape improvements for significantly less ($406,000).

Acting city administrator Kris Dockendorf says the study doesn't commit the city to take any action on the project, it just gives the city a better look at costs and feasibility. The council will be able to reduce or remove items from the project when they review the study.

City engineer Brian Lintgen says they hope to have the feasibility report done in May. The council will then review the study and have further discussion on the project.