Arterial Project will cause changes regardless of which plan is chosen
By
By JOLEEN FERRIS
Story Created:
May 6, 2008 at 5:11 PM EDT
Story Updated:
May 6, 2008 at 5:25 PM EDT
The North South Arterial project will greatly change the appearance of the Court and State Street intersection. In part, it's because some structures near the intersection are in the way, and will have to go to make room for the project.
Regardless of which of the 15 possible plans is chosen, four structures are going to have to go.
Among the Faye Street warehouse and Mercurio's Automotive. They'll have to be torn down to make way for the North South Arterial Project.
The owner of Mercurio's knew something was going on when he started seeing surveyors outside his business. The state D.O.T. will exercise eminent domain to take Mercurio's and the FSW, paying fair market value.
But Mercurio's Automotive consists of a lot more than four walls and a ceiling and rebuilding it won't be easy or simple.
"Everything's set up down there," said Mark Mrcurio, owner of Mercurio's Automotive. "It's taken us a number of years to get that building specific for what we do there and obviously, I don't have the room here to do what I do down there."
Also impacted by the project - two historic homes on Columbia Street. D.O.T. officials aren't sure what they're going to do about those yet....there is talk of moving them.
The owner of Mercurio's has been at this location for about 12 years. He says he's not against progress, but he doesn't want to move his business any further north or further from his South Utica location.
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