By Megan Kelley

Review Writer

As we know, construction season never really comes to an end in Michigan.

Downtown Lake Orion specifically has been busy dealing with parking issues that have resulted in several construction projects in order to add parking spaces and make the downtown safer.

During their August 13 meeting, the Downtown Development Authority board voted to award Spartan Paving, LLC the bid for several projects throughout the downtown.

Spartan Paving, LLC is expected to handle the Front Street restoration from a one-way to a two-way road, Slater Street parking lot construction, maintenance of the parking lot on the corner of Shadbolt and Anderson streets, the lot on the corner of Shadbolt and Broadway and the lot on the corner of Shadbolt and Lapeer and add on-street parking on N. Lapeer Street.

The cost of these projects, voted by the DDA board, was not to exceed $180,922.

Though the Front Street restoration project began just after Dragon on the Lake at the end of August, the rest of the projects began on Oct. 11. Since then, a majority of the scheduled work has been completed.

“Downtown Lake Orion is the DDA’s responsibility and maintaining the safety of this area is important. We’re also able to create more parking when we upgrade the parking areas,” said DDA Executive Director Molly LaLone. “We’ve been able to add more parking onto Front Street. Front Street is now more safe because it does have access to two-way traffic and that is important…we’re just sticking to our priorities.”

Up next for the DDA is maintenance work on the wall around the public parking lot on Front Street and Anderson Street and creating the parking lot on Slater Street.