It’s amazing what a little light will do. As part of its Northern Gateway renovation project, the Town of Purcellville hired TMG Construction to streetscape the former industrial corridor along 21st Street, which included landscaping, decorative street lighting and other improvements. With the construction of upscale restaurant Magnolia’s and retail stores, the establishment of the weekly Farmer’s Market and regular events at the new gazebo, town officials became concerned that the existing lighting was not adequate for the safety of increased pedestrian traffic in that area.

The centerpiece of the project was the installation of decorative street lights that were manufactured by the Holophane Corporation. The custom fixtures and poles were designed to display banners to celebrate and announce changing seasonal events. This work along with the landscaping and installations of signage, flag poles and other specialty work was performed in and around a recently completed and fully functional parking lot. The TMG project team (led by Project Manager Joe Matthews and Superintendent Bill Ball) and its electrical contractor Natelco Corporation took extreme care to protect the recently completed work and to keep the parking lot functional.

The additional lighting created a dramatic difference, noted TMG Vice President of Operations Joe Matthews. "What was once bordering on a seedy side of town now is very inviting," he said. "You see a lot more pedestrians strolling along the corridor at dusk, and it’s almost magical when the streetlamps turn on."

Officials outside the town have noticed the improvements as well. "We won an Award of Excellence from the Virginia Downtown Development Authority (VDDA) for this project," noted Marty Kloeden, Assistant to the Town Manager of Purcellville. "TMG did a wonderful job on this parking lot, and the Town is very proud of the way it turned out."