City sidewalk work on Congress Street to start Monday, widened sidewalks expected by Oct. 30

Sean, presenting the Office of Economic Development update, told the commission that Congress Street renovations will begin the coming Monday to repair sidewalks and raise curbing after road, water and sewer work. "The idea is to... widen the sidewalk... and the goal is to start Monday and be done by the October 30," Sean said.

Sean said the project will reduce traffic to two lanes on the music-hall side of Congress Street while widening sidewalks that could support additional outdoor dining. He added that most businesses contacted at a recent meeting understood the scope and timeline.

Commissioners noted the work primarily affects the music-hall side of the street, with the opposite side largely untouched aside from some curb work. The commission framed the renovation as a downtown activation opportunity tied to design standards and outdoor dining planning discussed during the benchmarking conversation.