Over the last several years, leaders with the City of Dowagiac have slowly been assembling the small pieces would eventually play a role in a very large transformation of the city’s historic downtown.

Now, with everything finally in place, the city is giving the public a first look at what this makeover of Division and Commercial streets will provide visitors and residents of the central business district.

The city and its partners with area engineering firm Wightman & Associates recently completed design work for the planned overhaul of the downtown entryway, as well other locations along Division Street.

The plan calls for the creation of new green space and parking spaces along the Division/Commercial intersection, nearby Beckwith Theatre Company, Dowagiac District Library and local post office. In addition, the city will be placing additional landscaping around several existing parking spaces along Division Street, with each having spots for future public art exhibits, said City Manager Kevin Anderson.

“This phase is really going to change how the Division Street corridor looks and feels,” Anderson said.

Anderson, along with Mayor Don Lyons and members of city council, has worked for nearly six years to improve the section of the downtown on Commercial Street, purchasing several local residences, as well as the Weaver Insurance Company and Westrate and Thomas law office buildings, in order to pave the way to make the construction possible.

The project coincides with several other actions taken by city council over the last few years to improve the downtown area, including facilitating the move of the Dowagiac Area History Museum to the former Behnke paint store, the installation of wayfinding signs and new decorative light fixtures and the demolition of the former Goerlich building.

“We have a great downtown, but for many years the entryways into our downtown have not been as attractive or welcoming as our downtown,” Lyons said, in a written statement to the Daily News. “The goal is to upgrade all of the entryways into our downtown so that all persons, whether residents or visitors, have the sense that the approaches to our downtown are as special as the downtown itself.”

The improvements along Commercial Street will focus on making the area more pedestrian friendly, with the additional green space as well as the installation of brick road segments, which will slow down traffic moving along the road, Anderson said. In addition, the city plans on placing an island near the intersection of Commercial and Division, which will further regulate traffic and improve visibility of drivers entering and exiting the area.

“It will be a lot easier and safer to for people to access Division Street,” Anderson said.

The new parking spaces will add 35 spaces to the Commercial Street corridor. When combined with the new public parking lot built by the city last year, around 70 new spaces will be added to the downtown area, which should not only help visitors find convenient parking spaces during city festivals and events but also with the growing number of people who reside downtown, Anderson said.

The city has discussed their plans with the downtown businesses that will be affected by the upcoming construction, all which are on board with the plan, Anderson said.

“There’s no getting around the fact it will be a mess for a while, but the finished project will be have a tremendous impact,” he said.

While unable to provide an estimate on the price the project will cost the city, the city manager said the city would fund the construction through a small loan. No existing city dollars are planned for reallocation as result of the project, Anderson said.

The city opened bidding for the construction Thursday. The city manager expects to have bids back and ready to present to city council for approval by next month. If everything goes smoothly from there, he expects the project to break ground in August, with work wrapping up by winter.