Taylorville council hears Benton Associates plan for $2.5 million downtown rebuild; brick sidewalks likely removed, about 20 parking spaces lost

Benton Associates told the Taylorville City Council at a special meeting that a $2.5 million DCO grant will fund downtown pedestrian, lighting and sidewalk upgrades but that the work will require replacing aging water services and updating sidewalks and curbs, likely removing the historic brick sidewalks in the courthouse square area.

"If we don't do anything with accessibility, the money all goes away," said Bill, the project manager for Benton Associates, urging that accessibility and utility replacement are required conditions for the grant. Bill said the design team has moved from a high-level grant concept to more detailed plans and that construction is not planned until after the first of the year.

Why it matters: the grant limits how funds may be used, and the engineers said the water-service and shut-off boxes located at building fronts mean crews must trench adjacent to storefronts. "You can't connect to the existing service integration without tearing up the...brick," the project manager said, adding that returning the brick to its former condition would be "very costly". He estimated the first phase would take "probably anywhere from 15 to 20 months" because of staging and seasonal constraints.

City and business questions focused on parking, cost and outreach. When asked whether bumpouts and the design would reduce parking, the engineer replied: "Yes, the parking will get reduced by about 20 spaces" but noted the plan includes additional golf-cart parking, reflecting local usage. The project team said the grant pays construction costs limited to pedestrian areas, lighting and pavement, while water-main replacement would be paid with city funds.

Several business owners pushed back on losing parking and the prospect of removing brick sidewalks. One business representative said the group has collected about 176 petition signatures and letters asking the city to preserve brick sidewalks and to involve property owners earlier in decision-making. "This is the first time the business property owners get to see it," the commenter said, arguing that more formalized engagement (a steering committee or input group) should be considered.

Benton described technical reasons for replacing the bricks: many curb stops, joints and pipe connections are old and would require new shutoffs and trenching. Engineers also recounted field work, including smoke testing and recent camera inspections, to map combined sanitary and storm sewer issues and locate utilities before finalizing designs.

Cost and schedule: the firm cited a design fee for phase one of about $360,000. Bill said the grant-funded portion is around $2.5 million but that total project estimates are currently "close to six million," and that adding brick restoration could push costs higher — toward $7 million. The firm stressed staging to reduce business impacts (temporary boardwalks and phased block work).

Next steps: councilors and the firm encouraged further input; exhibits and presentation boards will remain available after the meeting and engineers will be available in the hallway to take questions. Council noted bids and budgets will be public record and said final decisions are expected by October, while the next regular council meeting was announced for June 15.

The meeting separated planning discussion from the later public-restroom motion; the council subsequently approved consideration of a private restroom proposal (see separate article).