From Staff Reports

CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE — Construction began March 19 for the $1.2 million Phase Two of the downtown streetscape improvements in Chimney Rock Village.

Rutherford Bound — a project of the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority and all of the county’s municipal partners — detailed the project online.

It noted that “Phase Two will install new sidewalks, street trees, decorative lighting, vehicle parking, outdoor dining areas and crosswalks,” the Forest City Daily Courier reported in a March 23 story.

Chimney Rock Village Mayor Peter O’Leary explained that Huntley Construction Co. secured the bid for this phase of the village’s streetscape improvements and that McGill is the engineering firm overseeing the project.

McGill has prior experience with similar projects. According to its website, the company has completed downtown streetscapes n Asheville, Concord and Statesville. Huntley Constrcution Co. is a general contractor, based in Fairview in Buncombe County.

“As O’Leary put it, Huntley was ‘chomping at the bit’ and started the work a few days ahead of schedule,” the Daily Courier noted. “He explained that the project split the village’s downtown into three sections.

“The first section that Huntley is working on now is on the north side of Highway 64, from Gale’s Chimney to Featherheads.

“O’Leary said this is typically the most-crowded part of the walkway, so the village hopes that it will be substantially complted before foot traffic picks up in the summer.

“The village held a preconstruction hearing on March 21 to meet with business-owners whose storefronts the construction could potentially impact,” the Daily Courier reported.

As for safety concerns, Huntley said that he has fenced around the work area to separate the construction zone from the sidewalk.

O’Leary said the second section is on the south side of Highway 64—  from Old Rock Café to the Village Scoop Ice Cream Shop. The third section is in front of the public restrooms. The entire project will take an estimated nine months, with a projection of a November 2024 completition.

Phase One of the Streetscape project ended in December 2021. The first phase constructed a new downtown plaza, redesigned parking and sidewalk areas, installed street trees and updated landscaping and lighting.

“O’Leary described Phase One as ‘monumental’” in improving the appearance of the village’s downtown, the Daily Courier reported. “It’ not changing the character of the town at all, but it’s vastly improving the walkability and experience, making it better for visitors and shop-owners."