The amount of bright orange signs and hard hats seen throughout the Opelika and Auburn area has been increasing over the past few months.
As both communities continue to expand and construct, community members endure traffic changes and wonder what is going on.
At the corner of West Glenn Avenue and Wright Street, construction on The Parker continues.
The Parker will be a six-story retail and residential development, and it is projected to be completed in 2017.
According to city documents, the development will have 7,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.
The other five floors will be used for housing.
“I have heard that this building will be the tallest building located in downtown Auburn,” said Forrest Cotten, Auburn planning director.
West of Donahue Drive on West Glenn Avenue, the sidewalk project continues.
The project includes resurfacing and restriping of West Glenn Avenue from Donahue Drive to Byrd Street and relocation of the parking lane on West Glenn Avenue from the north side of the road to the south side of the road adjacent to the several apartment complexes.
Tiger Transit bus stops will be included in the striping plan on the south side of the road and a sidewalk as part of the project to accommodate the many pedestrians in this area.
“The West Glenn Avenue Sidewalk Project will improve traffic flow, parking and pedestrian conditions in that area,” said David Dorton, Director of Public Affairs for the City of Auburn. “The plan will improve traffic circulation and public safety while eliminating parking conflicts between students and nearby permanent residents.”
Closer to Tiger Town, on Frederick Road, construction on a new shopping center is underway. The new development will include various new restaurants and stores whose names have yet to be disclosed.
Closer to Tiger Town, on Frederick Road, construction on a new shopping center is underway.
The new development will include various new restaurants and stores.
“The construction going on on Frederick Road in Opelika will be a mixed-use development for retail and restaurants,” said Lori Huguley, director of Opelika economic development. “It is projected to be complete by spring 2016, but there has not been an announcement yet on what retailers will be occupying those spaces.”
Students and community members living in the surrounding areas have mixed feelings about the construction.
“I am honestly so tired of never knowing how long it is going to take me to get somewhere,” said Mary Giambrone, sophomore in public relations. “I feel like everywhere I go there is some kind of construction going on around Auburn and Opelika. I don’t know if they have filled these in, but on Glenn Avenue, near Tiger Town, there were massive pot holes in the road that could have easily destroyed someone’s car.”
Giambrone lives on Toomer Street and said the construction on the corner of Wright Street and Glenn Avenue can be annoyingly loud.
“Honestly, I am just ready for all of it to be completed,” Giambrone said. “I feel like it is just too much going on simultaneously.”
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