Upgrades will resemble the work previously done in front of the Town & Country Shopping Center. Sidewalks will be widened, new street lights will be installed and retaining walls will be built. The area should look more decorative, according to Bergstresser.
“Kettering lacks a downtown in the traditional sense,” he said. “So we’re trying to build up the area around Town & Country and Far Hills and Stroop … leading up to the Fraze area, the government center and Fairmont High School. (That’s) kind of a core area of Kettering.”
Roughly 21,000 vehicles per day travel on Stroop Road, according to the city. Another 14,000 use Shroyer Road on a daily basis.
The city has been working with businesses in the area that could be affected by the construction. The Kroger store on Stroop, for example, has provided the city with expected delivery times and peak traffic times.
“It’s a little upsetting hearing that it could possibly influence business just because we have been slower,” said Erin Gebhart, who is a shift supervisor at the Friendly’s restaurant on Stroop. “(But) the area seems to be nicer and drawing more attention. So that will hopefully drive business eventually.”
This is final phase of three that are aimed to upgrade Stroop over several years. Although the total project ran just less than $2 million, the city received a grant from the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission for $900,000.
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