Henderson Road might get $2M upgrade

Upper Arlington officials are looking at an estimated $2 million upgrade of Henderson Road in 2019 geared at reducing stormwater flooding and better accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians.

The modifications are planned on a segment of Henderson Road from Riverside Drive to Sawmill Road.

In addition to adding an underground stormwater sewer system to reduce flooding and soil erosion, the project includes construction of a shared-use path on the north side of Henderson that would connnect to an existing sidewalk on Sawmill Road and to a shared-use path that the city of Columbus plans to build on Henderson Road to the east.

The Upper Arlington City Council has approved a $120,000 contract with Burgess & Niple to design the upgrades.

City Engineer Jackie Thiel said Upper Arlington will apply for an Ohio Public Works Commission grant to help cover the cost of the project. In addition, it will use tax-increment financing funds it receives from a previous residential development adjacent to Henderson Road known as The Horizons.

The city expects to host a public meeting early in 2018 to discuss the proposed shared-use path. Thiel said bids are to be sought in early in 2019, with construction expected to be finished that year. the $1.15 million purchase of 4.3 acres at 1241 McKinley Ave. in Columbus from Kohr Royer Griffith, a commercial realestate firm.

Grandview Heights officials are eyeing the vacant property as a site for new service-department offices and the “parks” part of its parks and recreation department.

“This site works well, and it’s close to the city,” Grandview Heights finance director Bob Dvoraczky said. “It will free up a couple acres at the corner of Goodale and Grandview (the current site of the service department) that we will be able to use for other city facilities.”

Mayor Ray DeGraw said the new service-department building should be open by the end of 2018.