North Mulberry Street Outdoor Plaza

This project consists of the installation of pedestrian improvements, decorative lighting, shade structures, and flower beds on North Mulberry Street just north of Aspen Ave. The project is expected to kick off the week of January 2, 2023, and last until late April/early May.

To learn more about the history of the project and the design, visit the North Mulberry Street Plaza webpage.

Project Updates

• Week of January 6, 2023 - Construction for the North Mulberry Street Outdoor Plaza was originally scheduled to begin this week. However, due to weather and delays in materials being delivered, the contractor anticipates starting the underground work around January 15. You may see construction fencing and more signage in the project area next week.
• Week of January 13, 2023 - Demolition of the seat walls slated for removal has occurred. Storm Drain work began this week and utility work will continue in the coming weeks.
• Week of January 20, 2023 - Some asphalt was removed this week but underground work has not begun due to inclement weather and a delay in parts delivery.  Work on the storm drain is expected to start either today, January 20, or early next week.  Pedestrians please remember to be careful and make sure to stay outside of the construction zone during the project, as there will be excavations that may be hard to see and heavy equipment working.
• Week of January 27, 2023 - The contractor continued work on the underground storm drain pipe this week. A few sidewalks and crosswalks were closed this week for safety. These sidewalks and crosswalks will be closed for the remainder of the project. The sidewalk on the west side of North Mulberry Street is closed but the sidewalk on the east side is open. Pedestrians, please remember to be careful and make sure to stay outside of the construction zone during the project, as there will be excavations that may be hard to see and heavy equipment working.
• Week of February 3, 2023 - The storm drain is complete, and more sidewalk demolition has been going on this week in preparation for the installation of shade sail structures and planter curbing. Construction crews will be continuing sidewalk and asphalt removal next week and expect to begin construction on foundations for shade sails, a small irrigation system and electrical upgrades towards the end of the week. The City asks that pedestrians please use the sidewalk along the east edge of Mulberry Street during this phase of construction and to refrain from entering the fenced area around the project. We thank you for your patience during construction.
• Week of February 10, 2023 - More sidewalk and asphalt demolition occurred this week, along with the installation of portions of the new irrigation and electrical systems.  Next week crews are expected to begin construction on curb and gutter along Aspen Ave. and shade sail/light post foundations, along with more concrete and asphalt demolition.  Please use caution when traveling along the edges of the project. Also, this week it appears that some of the traffic control signs for the project were removed by unknown persons.  The City asks that citizens refrain from moving or removing traffic control devices, as they are there for the safety of pedestrians and removal of those signs can result in accidents that could otherwise be prevented and exposes the City and the contractor to liability for those accidents. 
• Week of February 17, 2023 - Work continues on the N. Mulberry Street Outdoor Plaza project, with preparation for concrete curb and gutter installation occurring next week. Some of the concrete work that was slated for this week has been pushed to next due to the weather and the cold nights. Modifications to the pedestrian route will be occurring soon, with the southern access to the Vintage Common being closed while the shade and light footers are being installed. Access from the north (next to the Hot Tomato) will still be open during this time. As always, we appreciate your patience while we continue to move forward with the construction.
• Week of February 24, 2023 - The southern two parking spots were installed this week, as were more decorative lighting foundations and underground electrical improvements. More concrete work is expected to occur next week, depending on the weather. Please note, due to the demolition work that has begun on the east side of Mulberry, the pedestrian route from Aspen Ave. to businesses north of the project has changed. Pedestrians are asked to please use an alternate route such as the sidewalk on the south side of Aspen Ave. to get from Aspen St. to the north side of the project. Crosswalks across Aspen Ave. are available at Peach St. (east of the project) or at the east side of the circle (west of the project). Pedestrians can access businesses on Mulberry St. north of the project (the Hot Tomato, Base Camp, the Copper Club, and the Vintage Common) from the east via the alley between Peach St. and Mulberry St. or from the north via Pabor Ave. Access to the Cavalcade and Suds Brothers is still available from Aspen Ave. We thank you for your patience as we complete these improvements.
• Week of March 3, 2023 - This week more shade sail and light post foundations were installed along with some decorative concrete along the new parking spots on the south end of the project. More decorative concrete installation is slated for early next week, depending on weather conditions.
• Week of March 10, 2023 - Good progress was made on the Mulberry St. Plaza this week.  The crosswalks on Aspen Street and Mulberry reopened, a few of the light posts were installed, and quite a bit of decorative concrete was placed against the buildings on both sides of the project.  All of the footers for shade sail posts and light posts on the west side of the plaza have been installed and only four footers remain to be installed.  More concrete was supposed to be placed today but is on hold due to the rain. We expect the east edge of the project to be open to pedestrians by the end of next week, which will allow pedestrians to access the Vintage Commons, the Hot Tomato, and the rest of the businesses along Mulberry from both the north and south ends of the project.  As always, please remember to stay away from the active construction zone and to use caution when walking next to heavy equipment.  We thank you for your patience while we work to improve our downtown.
• Week of March 17, 2023 - Work continued on the North Mulberry Outdoor Plaza this week. Starting today, pedestrian access will be available on the east side of the project from Aspen Street to the north side of Mulberry Street. Posts for the shade sails were installed this week, more decorative concrete was poured, and installation of the irrigation system has started. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this construction!
• Week of March 24, 2023 - Quite a bit of progress has been made on the N. Mulberry St. project this week. Contractors installed the remaining footers for light posts and shade sail posts. More decorative concrete was placed in the plaza and some of the light and shade sail posts were installed as well. Electrical conduits for lighting and the natural gas tap for the fire pit are slated to be completed today (March 24th). Planter curbing was slated to be installed this week but unfortunately the weather slowed us down a bit. Next week you can expect to see planter curbing and more concrete installed, as well as more electrical conduit and possibly more shade and light posts. In addition to the progress made this week we were able to open the east edge of the plaza, which allows pedestrians to access the businesses adjacent to the project from either the north or south ends. Please keep in mind that although the sidewalk is open, construction activities are still in progress so use caution when walking through the project area. Thank you to all the local businesses and residents for your patience during this project construction.
• Week of March 31, 2023 - Electrical, natural gas and irrigation service lines were installed and inspected, the remaining shade sail and light posts were installed, and more concrete was placed this week. Weather permitting, we are planning on completing the remaining decorative concrete and curbing next week. The east edge of the project remains open to pedestrians but please remember to use caution when walking near the project area. We thank you for your patience during the construction.
• Week of April 7, 2023 - More decorative concrete and curbing was installed this week, as well as electrical lines for planter and string lights. More concrete curb & gutter is slated to be installed today, Friday, April 7th. Visitors and residents will really start to see things coming together next week, as the remainder of the decorative concrete will be placed and the landscaping contractor will be working on installing decorative brick pavement.
• Week of April 14, 2023 - This week contractors installed overhead lighting and shade sails and finished the remaining decorative concrete. Decorative brick work was also started and is expected to be completed by early next week. Next week there will be some disruption to traffic and parking on the north end of the project, as contractors will be regrading and repaving Mulberry St. in that area. Vehicular traffic will not be allowed across Mulberry St. at the alley for about two weeks while concrete is installed and allowed to cure. We appreciate your patience while we work to complete the improvements.
• Week of April 20, 2023 - The Mulberry Street Outdoor Plaza is on track to open in early May. This past week more brickwork has occurred along with construction of the concrete parking spots on the north end of the project. Benches, a bike rack and planter boxes were brought into the site today and will be set in their final location next week. The fire pit will be on-site next week. In addition, our contractor will be working on installing trees and plants in the plaza space. We will be opening a portion of the plaza to pedestrian traffic later this week, but we ask that the community continues to use caution when walking through the area as construction continues.
• Week of April 28, 2023 - The end of construction is in sight! This week our contractor finished the concrete work on the project, which is a big milestone. The remaining work, which is slated to be completed by the end of next week, consists of irrigation system and plant/tree installation. Some lighting fixtures are also slated to be installed, which will complete the lighting portion of the project. The City wants to express its gratitude and appreciation to the public for the positive response we have had to the project. In addition, we’d like to thank local businesses for their patience and good will during the construction. Though a good portion of the plaza is open to the public at this point, construction continues and there are still hazards on the job site. Please use caution when travelling through the construction area.