Downtown Niles will have a pair of traffic signals replaced this spring at the estimated price of $270,000.

On Monday, the Niles City Council app

roved Benton Harbor’s Abonmarche Consultants to provide design and engineering for the replacement of stoplights at the intersections of Main Street and Second Street, and Main Street and Third Street.

Abonmarche had the low bid of $32,500 for engineering work.

City Administrator Richard Huff said the Main Street Traffic Signal Upgrade Project would not use city funds.

“It is a combination of MDOT monies and grants,” he said.

According to documents provided by the council, the project will include new LED traffic signals, digital controllers, signal poles and other related items. Construction is expected to begin in the spring and will take approximately eight to 10 weeks.

Accommodating new business

Also, the council unanimously approved loaning Daniel Ashley, owner of UltraCamp, $60,000 out of the city’s revolving loan fund. Ashley will use the funds to purchase office equipment, property and landscaping for the soon-to-be-built UltraCamp office building at 1030 Plym Park.

In addition, the council also approved the use of up to $50,000 from the same fund to develop a parking lot at Plym Park, at the request of Ashley.

Work would include paving and striping the parking lot located south of the tennis courts. Parking spaces would increase from around 15 to 42 spaces.

Estimated cost is $48,000.

“(The parking lot) would benefit the park in that it is right there by the tennis courts, and we’ve had parking issues there,” said Daniel VandenHeede, councilman. “The way it’s written there are no reserved spots for business or anything, although they would be free to use it.”