DRC unveils sidewalk insert for Sixth Street

The Downtown Racine Corporation has unveiled the new granite inserts which will be installed as part of the 6th Street reconstruction project. The 24” x 24” granite pieces will be installed later this summer as sidewalks are completed.

In 2008 DRC put out a call to artists to submit designs for the granite pieces; the design committee chose the one submitted by Erika Deutmeyer Adams, shown at left. She and her husband, Jonathon, live in an historic home in Racine

Erika submitted a square, historic-looking design to go with the street's historic theme. It incorporates Victorian-looking scrolls and Racine elements like a lighthouse, sailboat, tractor, the Frank Lloyd Wright tower and Festival Hall. It also notes the year the city was established (1834) and lists some of the amenities here, such as shopping, beaches, marinas, festivals, the zoo and museums.

Sixth Street's reconstruction is expected to be completed by the end of October. It will boast new paving, wider sidewalks, benches, planters and rain gardens, new lighting and landscaping. Despite the construction, all of the shops, galleries and restaurants along 6th Street are open for business.