Start of Northside Sidewalk Project Highlight of Juneteenth

Juneteenth was celebrated last Saturday at Hubbard Park with plenty of food, music, games, face painting and a ground-breaking ceremony.

The ceremony, organized by the NAACP and the Juneteenth Committee, celebrated the start of the North Central Sidewalk Project.

Juneteenth, which is officially recognized today (Thursday, the 19th) is normally observed in Sedalia on the Saturday before or after the official federal holiday.

We spoke with Second Ward Councilwoman Tina Boggess about the project:

“We’re talking about $1.4 million dollars worth of sidewalks coming to the north central side of Sedalia. As I’ve said time & time again, this side of Sedalia, we’re absolutely thrilled. We’ve never had sidewalks before. So now it’s going to be accessible, because we have several people in the neighborhood who use motorized wheelchairs, but when they want to go somewhere, they always had to get in the street in order to go. Now they can get on the sidewalk and go,” Boggess noted.

A grant became available, but there was only a short window of opportunity remaining, Bogges remembered, adding that former Public Works Director Brenda Ardrey called her and notified her that a historic grant was available after months of searching.

Only thing was, many signatures from residents were needed, as well as a written, historical review of the area before they could apply for the grant.

“There were several other entities that applied for this grant, but they didn’t send all of their paperwork in, and so we got a phone call that said, ‘Hey, you’re the only one who sent all the proper paperwork in, so we’re giving you the entire grant.’ Otherwise, it could have been split among four other entities,” Boggess recalled.

She added that she was extremely happy that the project is finally underway.

The project will begin just north of the railroad tracks and progress to the city limits. The east and west boundaries will be between Mill and Park.

The project is expected to take about 18 months to complete.

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The work consists of the installation of 127 linear feet of curb and gutter, 6,905 square feet of commercial concrete driveway, 24,467 square feet of residential concrete driveway, 143 ADA sidewalk ramps, 114,711 square feet of concrete sidewalk, 493 linear feet of storm sewer, traffic control, erosion control, and all incidental and/or related work as necessary to provide a complete project.

The project involves Henry, Johnson, Morgan, Cooper, Pettis, Park and Grand streets.

This project will also launch the City of Sedalia’s first-ever interactive project map, a digital tool designed to keep residents informed in real time.

The map will show which streets are under construction, when improvements are planned, and how the project is progressing. This tool puts transparency into action,” said GIS Coordinator Madisyn Bridges.

“Residents can see where work is happening, what’s coming next, and how far we've come—all from their phone or computer. It’s not just a map, it’s a way to stay engaged with the progress.”