Eight months after the demolition of the former Goerlich building situated at the corner of Division and Railroad streets downtown, excavators, road rollers and other heavy construction equipment returned to the site late last week.

The machines’ purpose this time, though, was not to destroy something old, but to create something new.

The ongoing construction taking place throughout the Division Street corridor shifted to its next stage last week. While a portion of the construction workers continued to focus their efforts on Commercial Street, others went to work on the now vacant lot, beginning the first steps to transform it into a public green space.

According to City Manager Kevin Anderson, the former Goerlich building site will be re-landscaped. The main addition will be a retaining wall placed on the south side of the property near the road, with a berm placed behind it. To help decorate the structure, the city will put out a call for public art some time after the construction.

“We think it will add to the visual appeal of the downtown for drivers entering the area,” Anderson said.

Construction on the planned improvements to the Division Street corridor has been ongoing since July, when crews Merrill Excavating demolished several structures along Commercial Street the city had purchased last year. Shortly thereafter, contractors with Northern Construction Services have begun work along Commercial Street itself, removing the stretch of pavement from Pennsylvania Avenue to Division Street as they rebuilt the utility pipes and tanks underneath the surface, Anderson said.

With that first phase of construction complete, construction crews will begin work on the next phase of the project, which includes building the curbs and street grades, the city manager said.

In spite of the extreme heat and high humidity throughout the last several weeks, crews have kept right on pace, Anderson said.

“They have done a nice job working through the heat,” Anderson said. “They know about the potential health concerns and have taken appropriate measures to deal with any issues.”

The Division/Commercial street project will bring several massive changes to the appearance of Dowagiac’s downtown.

Commercial Street will be repaved, with a stretch of the road sporting bricks in order to slow down traffic, making it more pedestrian friendly. Crews will also construct green space and a new parking lot along the road, and will remake the intersection of Commercial and Division to improve visibility for drivers.

Right now, the project is still on track to be completed by late October, Anderson said.

“We are hoping to get Commercial Street open as soon as possible, but it is a big project so we know it will take some time before we get to that point,” Anderson said.

Despite the fact the street has been closed, many Commercial Street institutions have not been significantly set back by construction.

Postmaster Janet Hagen with the Dowagiac Post Office said that, after a slight reduction of foot traffic at the beginning of construction, visitors have adjusted to the changes.

The Dowagiac District Library has also seen its visitation remain steady during the construction work. Director Matt Weston said that traffic was only down around 3 to 4 percent from this time last year, he said.

“It has created a little more stress for the patrons and staff, but it has not been a really huge issue,” Weston said. “It will be nice to see the finished product. I think it will benefit the library.”