Mayoral Candidate Says Westside Parkway Paving May Begin Next Month

A little bit of news popped up in the middle of the candidates' forum sponsored by the Debate Club on Oct. 26, when City Councilman Jim Paine said paving might start in November on Westside Parkway's final section.

Paine and Doug DeRito, mayoral candidates in the Nov. 8 election, were asked what they would do as mayor to complete road construction projects including Westside Parkway. (The third mayoral candidate, David Belle Isle, left the forum for another campaign event after making an opening statement.)

Westside Parkway between Old Milton Parkway and Webb Bridge Road was to be completed by Thomas Enterprises as a condition of favorable zoning for its Prospect Park project. But bankruptcy stalled the estimated $13 million project when it was at least 85 percent complete.

Now North American Properties owns most of the unfinished roadway. Agreements on that firm deeding the road over to the city are essentially completed, Paine said. Negotiations on the final two-tenths of a mile of that roadway just south of Webb Bridge Road appear to be on track so final construction can begin next month, he said. A different owner held the rights to that section of the road.

Both candidates say in the accompanying video that finishing the road is important. Paine, a current City Council member, had a few more details to offer on the status. DeRito took time to also mention other road construction projects that were started when he was still a council member.

While election day is Nov. 8, is underway.