Builders take advantage of good weather

Taking advantage of the gorgeous October weather, construction crews have made rapid progress on a number of projects in the McCook community in recent weeks.

Most noticeable is the highway work in midtown McCook, which is getting very close to completion on the five-lane B Street portion from West Fourth to East Fourth streets.

Added to that, the highway construction crews have started work on the South U.S. Highway 83 viaduct which carries traffic over the railroad tracks. The overpass surface had become badly eroded in recent years; so the Nebraska Department of Roads and Paulsen Inc. decided to get started on the rebuilding this fall.

It is not just highway work which is taking place during the balmy autumn weather. Uptown, remodeling is progressing on two business locations. At 217 Norris Ave. -- between Modern Cleaners and Amy's Fashions -- a tanning salon is being created for the Hamiltons, and a block to the south, the former Heartland Tour & Travel space is being remodeled into a sales and service center for Prairie Wind PC.

Also on the commercial front, a new group of storage units has been completed in the 1500 block of West H Street. The 14-unit facility is just east of Record Motors off North U.S. Highway 83.

Out and about in the community, the most popular projects at this time are duplexes. Double D Duplexes, in the 800 block of East Seventh just south of D's Place, is taking shape, with occupancy of the two duplexes (containing four living units) possible before the holidays. McCook Contracting is doing the work for the developers, Gwen and Bill Davis Sr. and Bill Davis Jr.

Another duplex is arising on the southwest corner of the East Sixth and C Street intersection. Joe Giorgione is the developer of the project, which has progressed to the point that outside framing is being put into place.

Across town on Brassie Drive, adjacent to Heritage Hills Golf Course, the Wayne Michaelis family is moving ahead with the south half of a duplex project. After the first side is finished, plans are to put up another unit on the north.

Additional developments are possible in the future. Preliminary grading, sewer and water line work has been done for the Villas at Heritage Hills, a project which Thom Widawski is developing on the northeast side of Heritage Hills, and discussions are continuing between Claude Cappel and the city concerning the Outback Addition north of Q Street.

The longer the weather stays nice, the more outside work that builders can get done before having to move to inside tasks. It will shorten the winter break; and give builders a headstart on spring projects.