by Leah Justice

The Town of Tryon’s downtown improvements are moving along this summer with major asphalt work commencing last week at the Depot Plaza.

Plans are for the first phase of the Depot Plaza work to be complete Nov. 7, just prior to the town’s annual beer festival, scheduled this year for Saturday, Nov. 8.

Tryon Town Council approved the depot construction bid during its August meeting to Trace & Company, the same contractor for the town’s Maple Street sidewalk project that is nearing completion downtown.

The final contract was for $173,960, with $150,000 coming from a North Carolina Department of Commerce ‘Main Street Solutions Fund (MSSF) grant.

During council’s meeting, some commissioners expressed concern over trees being replaced in the plaza. There were five trees removed during the first part of construction, which were donated to the Outreach Ministry firewood program. Commissioner George Baker said he does not see anything in the bid that delineated what kind of trees would be planted. Tryon Economic Development Director Crys Armbrust named some of the trees, saying there were six to be planted on the civil engineering plan.

Baker said he wanted specifics on the trees and he wants to make sure the tree planting is done right once. He said he bent over on taking the old trees down, which he still considers murder.

Trace & Company contractors said they would get their landscaper to get council a drawing with labeled locations of the trees.

Commissioner Happy McLeod suggested getting with landscape architect Mark Byington, to ensure the depot trees are similar to another tree project going on downtown called “Trees on Trade.”

Council also discussed utility work planned for depot plaza and decided to place festival light outlets in the plaza during construction, to be paid for by the beer festival.

Project work for the depot plaza includes removal and replacement of asphalt, sewer upgrades, utility consolidation, implementing a centralized brick and scored concrete plaza area, a reconfigured Pacolet Street entrance with a pedestrian island and restriping and increasing parking spaces.

The conceptual design of the depot plaza master plan was done by Brady Trakas Architects with the civil engineering drawings by Milone & McBroom.

The anticipated completion date of the project is Nov. 7, weather permitting.