Jasper Nearing Downtown Revitalization Project Construction, Timeline Updated

Jasper - Tuesday evening, city and county officials met with construction partners to discuss the upcoming groundbreaking on the Courthouse Square Infrastructure and Revitalization Project.

The pre-construction meeting included representatives of Ragle Construction, REA, VS Engineering, and officials from Dubois County and the City of Jasper.

All involved are expected to finalized a contract and issue a notice to proceed soon. A site supervisor is still in the selection process.

Depending upon weather conditions, material availability, and the completion of paperwork construction is anticipated to begin before Memorial Day. 

Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide says that all parties involved are excited to get going next month, though there are factors that could delay the timeframe.

"We all feel pretty good about it because as things were moving along, we expect the construction will start some time before Memorial Day," Vonderheide said. "It's all dependent upon, as usual any construction project, material availability and weather."

Vonderheide went on to say that throughout the pandemic era, material availability has become a common issue. Thought demand, coupled with national inflation concerns, will not lead to a higher price tag for the city.

"That's been a factor for the last two years with COVID and plants shutting down, so, material has been a problem everywhere in the global supply chain," Vonderheide said. "They feel like they'll get it, it's just a matter of long lead times. That's what we've become accustomed to, we've adjusted to that."

"Yes, there is a higher cost then there was a couple years ago, but, those costs were bid out just a few weeks ago so those costs are built into what they contracted with," Vonderheide added.

Parties involved expect the water line project to be the first to see completion, with an expected timeframe of three to four weeks.

The project will be divided into quadrants. According to city officials, the contractor will begin work with the Northeast quadrant, including City Hall, and see construction of the new ADA accessible ramp to the Courthouse. At this time, accessibility to the Square and all building entrances will be maintained.

Prior to Thanksgiving, the completion of two quadrants - Northeast and Northwest - is expected. Construction will be placed on hold through the early portion of 2023.

While the subtraction of parking spots due to the Revitalization configuration, Vonderheide says that more downtown parking is on the way.

"East of the city office, those spots, immediately on the square so you don't have to walk more than a block, those spots will be made available for two-hour parking," Vonderheide said.

Meetings with contractor representatives will be held bi-weekly upon the start of construction.

Maintenance of Traffic Maps, parking maps, and schedule details will be provided on the City of Jasper's  website as soon as they are available. More about the project can be found here.