In the coming weeks, the Mount Vernon Bank and Trust Company parking lot will be undergoing major renovations. The project will be conducted in two phases (the upper lot being first and lower lot being second) and the construction of the first phase will begin in the next 30 days.
Hall and Hall Engineering – based out of Hiawatha – will be heading the construction and getting the permits to complete the remodel.
This project will replace the asphalt in the parking lot with concrete. David Ryan, president of Mount Vernon Bank and Trust, said the decision to switch to concrete was recommended by Hall and Hall Engineering, partly because of its durability and lack of common need for maintenance.
Other things being remodeled are the retaining wall parallel to Main St. The wall is not in danger of collapsing, but the pressure of the past four to five decades has begun to bend the wall out of place. They will also move the staircase that runs from the bottom lot to the top lot, closer to the bank.
“It’s a good investment to beautify the uptown area,” Ryan said, “and to make sure our customers and employees have good pavement to walk and drive on.”
The bank will not only look to upgrade the lot structurally, but they also want to improve the aesthetic appeal. They plan on replacing all of the railings and light fixtures with more modern looking models. The bank will be adding new vegetation and trees to the lot as well. The biggest improvement to the aesthetic look of the lot will be a new limestone veneer on the wall running alongside Second Avenue.
These renovations will not expand the amount of parking spots in the lot, however it will be engineered to create a smoother flow of traffic.
“It’s going to be a little easier traffic flow,” said Ryan, “We’re going to re-engineer some of the islands and how cars can get through the lot.”
The project was decided to be split into two phases to limit the disruption the construction will cause. The bank wants one section of the lot open at all times for their customers and employees to still be able to park.
The first phase is planned to be completed within 45 days from the start of construction, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
“It could last 45 days or twice that long,” Ryan said. “You get into these projects, and you hope that they don’t run into weather or difficulties.”
During the first phase of construction, the drive-through portion will have to close for a couple of weeks. For now, the bank does not know when this will occur but plans on communicating the closure coming on a day-to-day basis.
The lot has been an integral part of the town. It is often used as overflow parking when the bank is closed, and events are going on like church services at the Methodist church, funerals, and Heritage Days.
“We’re part of the community, we want to be good neighbors,” Ryan said.
The bank had to get the planned improvements cleared by planning and zoning and city council before they could move ahead with the project. This was because the alleyways behind the bank and any business site changes are subject to being reviewed by the planning and zoning commission as well as approval from the council.
The council approved the project in the past meeting, thus giving the go-ahead for the bank to begin construction as soon as they want.
“It’s going to be a little bit of a disruption, but I think in the end, the project will be nice for the town,” Ryan said.