Business Owners Learn More About Huntingburg Downtown Project

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Business Owners Learn More About Huntingburg Downtown Project

Business owners in Huntingburg along the 4th Avenue construction area had the chance to hear updates on the project.

“The turnout and feedback was just excellent,” said Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner (R).

The message was clear at Thursday’s special public meeting to give an update on the 4th Avenue construction project; businesses will be open.

Nearly three dozen people showed up with excitement for the project, but there were also concerns with how it might affect business.

“We came to really find out, for the local businesses, how it’s going to affect us and what the construction will be like and how long it will take,” said business owner Sara Durcholz.

The project will be in three phases. East of Highway 231 to Jackson Street will be the first part. Then phase two will be on the west side to Geiger Street before finishing off work on 231.

Durcholz’s shop is located in phase one.

“It’s exciting to have this project to this point,” Spinner said. “There’s a lot of great questions that need to be asked and answered but I believe what we heard tonight was a thorough plan for this project to move forward and be successful.”

Mayor Spinner knows there are several factors to consider, undergoing a project like this.

“It was great to hear the questions that were here, and I hope as this project moves forward, it will be something that we can continue to communicate in a way that those questions are answered,” said Spinner.

Durcholz says even though there are uncertainties with how the construction will affect business, she believes – when it’s all said and done – it will be worth it.

“No one loves construction,” Durcholz said. “At the end of the day, Huntingburg has always been our home. It’s a small local community, and it’s time to bring Fourth Street [and] modernizer it a little bit.”

Mayor Spinner believes communicating with the public and business owners has helped push the project forward.

“One of the things that set our proposal apart was our ways we have communicated with the public about the projects we anticipated,” Spinner said. “I think that’s something we’ve had to have in order to be successful.”