Downtown Perry Planning to Meet ADA Regulations
PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The city of Perry is making it easier for everyone to get to downtown stores, approving a decision to make the sidewalks on one of its main roads handicap accessible.
In a few months, business owners in Perry could potentially see a boost in sales.
Shops downtown are hard to get to for those in wheelchairs, and the city is trying to get them in line with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
Business owners in downtown Perry like Trish Cossart see a lot of foot traffic on Carroll Street throughout the year.
She owns Cossart Design, an interior design boutique where customers can leave with huge pieces of furniture and other items.
Stores like Trish’s see success, but there’s one thing owners wish would be fixed.
The sidewalks.
There’s no damage to them, but potential customers in wheelchairs have a tough time getting on them.
There are no ramps.
So the city is fixing the problem.
Perry City Manager Lee Gilmour says it’ll cost about $81,000 to revamp the sidewalks, and thinks Carroll Street could be the first of many to see a change.
“As it stands right now, the improvements are going to be made on the four intersections on Carroll St. the major heart of our downtown, although we would anticipate over time it may expand to some of the other streets as well,” Gilmour said.
The improvements on the sidewalks, which have been a year in the making, come from local city penny tax.
Owner’s like Trish think the upgrades will boost local business.
“We’re really excited about it. We’re hoping it’s going to bring more people downtown, which of course will help all of the businesses and it’s going to make it a lot easier for people to come in and out of the stores,” Cossart said.
Even the job to revamp the sidewalks will boost the economy.
The local contractor who was hired is out of Fort Valley.
The sidewalk job is expected to begin in early September and be finished by the end of October.
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