Downtown Frankfort is Getting a Makeover to the Tune of 1.3 Million

Downtown Frankfort could look a little different over the next few years.

The Village is considering roughly $1.33 million in downtown improvements that could change traffic on Oak Street, redesign several pedestrian crossings and upgrade the barriers surrounding the Kansas Street outdoor dining area.

But there's an important distinction here:

This is not an approved $1.33 million construction project.

Village staff brought the package to the Committee of the Whole on October 5 looking for direction on what should be included in the upcoming fiscal year budget and whether some of the work should be spread across multiple years.

The projects are some of the first potential investments coming out of the larger downtown planning work completed with The Lakota Group.

So What Could Actually Change?

The $1.33 million preliminary package falls into three main pieces.

1. Oak Street Could Become Two-Way

The largest portion of the package is approximately $635,000 for Oak Street.

The most noticeable change would be converting Oak Street between Kansas Street and Nebraska Street from its current one-way configuration to two-way traffic.

The concept would maintain parallel parking on both sides of the street, although Village staff estimates one or two parking spaces could potentially be lost because existing electric and light poles would remain in place.

The roadway itself presents another challenge: it's relatively flat and currently doesn't have mid-block drainage structures. The proposed work therefore includes new storm sewer and drainage improvements as part of the conversion.

The preliminary cost is broken down like this:

• $200,000 — Oak Street two-way reconfiguration and drainage between Kansas and Nebraska
• $75,000 — additional resurfacing north from Kansas Street to Elwood Street
• $360,000 — replacement of approximately 600 feet of aging water main

Doing the water main at the same time is intentional. The Village wants to avoid rebuilding Oak Street and then having to cut into the new pavement later to replace the underground infrastructure.

Seven Downtown Intersections Could Get Bump-Outs

The second major piece is $571,550 for pedestrian bump-outs at seven downtown locations.

If you're not familiar with the term, a bump-out extends the curb farther into the street at an intersection. That shortens the distance pedestrians have to cross, makes pedestrians easier for drivers to see and can help slow traffic through the intersection.

The larger downtown plan actually identifies 13 potential locations. Village staff is recommending starting with seven that it believes would provide the greatest benefit for pedestrian safety and traffic calming.

• White Street & Elwood Street — $85,000
• White Street & Old Plank Road Trail — $62,000
• White Street & Kansas Street — $37,000
• White Street & Nebraska Street — $110,000
• Nebraska Street & Ash Street — $61,000
• Nebraska Street & Oak Street — $94,000
• Oak Street & Old Plank Road Trail — $48,000

The estimated construction cost for the seven locations is $497,000, with another $74,550 budgeted for design and construction engineering.

What About the Other Six?

They're not necessarily going away.

Village staff described the remaining six locations as a possible later phase because they would generally provide a lower benefit relative to their cost.

The broader plan also includes other potential curb and parking changes that could be considered when future development or roadway projects create an opportunity to make them.

In other words, this $1.33 million package isn't the entire downtown plan. It's an initial group of projects the Village is considering moving forward.

Kansas Street Dining Could Get New Barriers

The third piece may be the easiest one to visualize if you've spent time downtown during outdoor dining season.

Frankfort is considering approximately $125,000 for upgraded vehicle barriers and screening around the Kansas Street outdoor dining area.

The goal is to provide stronger vehicle protection for people using the dining area while replacing the more utilitarian barricade setup with something that fits the look of downtown.

Where Does the $1.33 Million Go?

None of This Is Final Yet

That's probably the most important part of this story.

The October 5 discussion was about budget guidance and priorities, not final approval to spend $1.33 million and begin construction.

Village staff specifically asked the Board whether it supports putting the entire package into the upcoming fiscal year budget or whether portions of it should be phased over multiple budget cycles.

Staff also asked which bump-out locations should receive priority and whether the Board supports designing Oak Street between Kansas and Nebraska for two-way traffic.

So the individual projects, costs and timing could still change.

But we're getting a much clearer picture of which pieces of Frankfort's larger downtown plan could move from concept drawings into actual projects first.

I'll continue following the downtown plan as the Village moves into budgeting and design. If the scope, costs or timeline change, I'll update this story.