WKSU Stories

Cuyahoga Falls Closes All of Front Street As the Major Phase of Construction Begins

Ideastream Public Media | By Kabir Bhatia

Published July 23, 2017 at 11:21 PM EDT

Businesses on Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls say business hasn't been affected much and -- in some cases -- has improved since the street was closed for the revitalization project.

Clarification: The businesses along Front Street remain open during construction.

The $10 million revitalization of downtown Cuyahoga Falls enters a crucial phase today as most of the former pedestrian mall’s walkways close.

Over the weekend, the city’s Italian Festival took over the two-block stretch that’s been closed to automobiles since the 1970s. Now, all of Front Street is closed as crews will spend the rest of the year working on historic building facades, underground infrastructure and re-paving the street. Mayor Don Walters says the brick walkway should re-open as a two-lane street by the end of December, and the project is both on-schedule and on-budget.

“Although it will be open in the winter time, we know we’d like to get the beautification in – the annuals, the shrubbery and all that – have a big ribbon-cutting in the spring and a lot of festivities down there as well.”

With the street closed, the city won’t open its ice rink next to Rt. 8 this winter, but Walters says the city is working on an alternative.

“We will replace the rink and it will be active the following winter. This winter we’re looking to partner with Gorge MetroPark. They have a pond there that freezes and it’s weather-dependent. However, we have skates. So we’re going to try and partner with them and offer the free skates and use their facility as long as Mother Nature cooperates.”

Walters says the city hopes to offer hard-hat tours of downtown this fall, with a grand re-opening ceremony next spring.

Live webcams of the project can be viewed at downtowncf.com.