County-city Jackson Street project to reconfigure downtown roads; council weighs roundabout vs. stop controls and street vacating
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Summary
Mayor Matt Zacker said the long-planned Jackson Street project will reconfigure Market Street to connect 2nd Street and an existing roundabout, vacate Marcus Street and possibly 1st Street to create developable parcels, and the council discussed traffic control options including a roundabout versus a four-way stop.
Mayor Matt Zacker described a multi-year county-city effort to redevelop the Jackson Street corridor after demolition of buildings in the downtown "Triangle" area and recent county property removals.
He said the plan would remove Market Street to connect 2nd Street with an existing roundabout, improve circulation to the courthouse area and modify confusing parking-lot geometry. "So then the Jackson Street project was, set to actually go last year ... So then the Jackson Street project was set to go last year," Zacker said, summarizing the project history.
The county and city agreed to vacate Marcus Street to simplify access, Zacker said, and they are considering vacating 1st Street as well to create a marketable parcel for development. He described a council discussion about placing a roundabout versus a four-way stop at 3rd Street: Zacker favored a roundabout for continuous flow and said stop controls could back traffic into the existing roundabout during busy times.
Zacker emphasized that the work will go forward in the 2026 construction season, that the choice of street controls will affect traffic flow for decades, and that the city will begin public conversations this year about the development vision for the newly available parcel.