Toledo’s Front and Main reconstruction moves ahead with $19.5 million grant

Toledo‘s Front Street and Main Street reconstruction project in East Toledo is moving forward with $19.5 million in replacement federal funding, but construction still has no publicly announced start date.

The July 2026 BUILD grant replaces a $28.5 million federal award Toledo received in March 2024 and lost in 2025. The new award is about $9 million smaller. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said some small-scale reductions will be needed, but city officials say the central project scope remains intact.

What the project would change

The project centers on Front Street and Main Street, including the Front-and-Main intersection and the Main Street intersection with Boers-Boyer Way. The city says the corridor has experienced severe crashes involving vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians and serves as a key connection between East Toledo, the riverfront and downtown.

At Front and Main, the planned work includes road realignment, new pedestrian ramps and improved crosswalk conditions. At Main and Boers-Boyer, the plan calls for intersection realignment and simplification, along with a new pedestrian connection toward International Cove and Glass City Metropark.

Planned corridor work includes resurfacing portions of Front Street and Main Street, new or improved sidewalks and crosswalks, pedestrian signals, median islands, trees and other streetscape improvements. The city’s project materials describe these features as planned design elements; final design, procurement and grant conditions could still affect individual details.

Transit upgrades are part of the plan

The project also includes planned upgrades to TARTA bus stops on Main Street near Marina Lofts and Starr Avenue. City supporting materials identify new bus pads, station platforms and transition ramps intended to improve access for transit riders and people with disabilities.

Updated roadway layouts are intended to support TARTA’s planned Bus Rapid Transit project. That does not mean BRT service is operating, nor does it establish a construction schedule for that separate project.

Why the replacement award is smaller

Toledo had already spent roughly $3 million on assessment and design work before the original grant was pulled, according to 13abc‘s report on the new award. Kapszukiewicz said that work helped move the project toward construction readiness and reduced the amount of new federal money needed.

The smaller award means some limited scale-backs are expected. Kapszukiewicz said the overall scope has not changed, but that statement describes the city’s current position rather than a guarantee that every feature will remain unchanged through final design and contracting.

What happens next

The city still must complete final funding arrangements, contracting and scheduling before construction begins. Toledo’s project page lists the Front and Main schedule as “TBD,” and 13abc reported July 10 that no construction timeline had been announced.

For residents, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders, the immediate change is that the project remains funded and active rather than canceled. Future city updates should identify contracting, construction phases, traffic impacts and any changes to the final design. For now, Front and Main is planned and funded, but it is not under construction.

Sources

• City of Toledo — Front St. and Main St. Reconstruction
• 13abc — Toledo Front and Main Street project secures new federal funding after original grant pulled