Melilli Plaza Update

On Friday afternoon the heavy retaining wall which separated the lower from the upper parking lot at Melilli Plaza was being cut down with a wet-saw, broken into large pieces, and loaded into a dumpster.

I watched some of the work alongside Director of Public Works, Bill Russo, who was checking on the progress of the parking lot project. Russo said that all of the asphalt was crushed on-site, and will be used as a base for the new lot.

Russo said that there had been more than the usual number of bids for the work, and the winning bid of $917,000 was considerably less than what the city engineer had estimated it would cost. The work is being done by Xenelis Construction, based in Middlefield, and Russo was pleased at the number of Middletown area laborers being employed. Dwayne Xenelis was at the helm Friday, moving concrete and taking down stair railings with a delicate touch that belied the power of the big excavator.

City employees are parking in a variety of lots around downtown, including behind the paint store north of Washington Street, and at the court house. Russo pointed out that he and the Mayor had been assigned spots further from City Hall than anybody else. Mayor Giuliano, passing by from his car to his office at that moment, pointed out that in this weather it was good to be walking.

Russo confirmed that the new lot will have a bicycle rack.