The Madison Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission hosted a ceremony on Nov. 17 to mark the official end of major construction in 2015 of the Madison Center Project. Elected officials State Representative Noreen Kokoruda, First Selectman Tom Banisch, and selectmen Al Goldberg, Joan Walker, and Bob Hale were in attendance as Economic Development Chair Ryan Duques marked the completion of major construction for this calendar year.

Duques and Banisch spoke briefly, noting they were satisfied by the amount of work completed during the two-months of construction and its quality. Duques also thanked the merchants and business owners for their patience and noted that Madison is open for business and open for the holidays.

During the ceremony, which took place in front of the Post Office, the Economic Development Commission and Chamber of Commerce recognized two individuals for their commitment to the project over the past few months.

Traffic safety officer Derek Jackson was acknowledged for his friendliness, smile, and desire to assist all visitors to town while keeping the project site safe for pedestrians, cars, and construction workers. During the presentation, Duques said that he hoped that Jackson would be back in the spring, acting as traffic safety officer and unofficial project ambassador when construction restarts.

Mike Ott, town engineer for the Town of Madison, was also recognized for his extreme attention to detail and commitment to the project. In addition to his decade of planning, Mike was acknowledged Nov. 17 for his work during the two months of construction where he has overseen every detail of the project and could often be seen early in the morning watching light poles and tree grates being delivered with wide eyes and a smile.

While brick paver installation continues in a small section on the western edge of town, the vast majority of the north-side of town has been completed. Remaining areas of construction will wrap up this week. Already, the majority of parking has been reopened in the Center and the remaining blocked spaces will be open soon. Construction signage will be removed or covered soon and the traffic safety barrels and cones will be reduced to only required areas.

The tree grates and light poles have been installed, but the trees and light fixtures themselves will not be planted and installed until Spring.

For regular updates, visit www.madisonedc.org/development/downtown-center-project.