Denise Fett provided the Icon with photos of recent work on the former Presbyterian alley at 120 N. Main St. Here’s the story behind the project.

After a one-and-a-half years in planning, the former Bluffton Presbyterian Church alley is becoming an attractive outdoor meeting place downtown.

The alley, closed to vehicle traffic for many years, fell into disrepair over the years.

Bluffton council’s streets and alley committee with a serious nudge from the Bluffton in Bloom volunteers came together last year with a plan to provide an attractive and much need transformation.

Early on in the transformation, the alley owners, Bluffton Presbyterian Church and Gary and Shannon Reese, turned it over to the village. The ultimate goal was to create a usable, attractive green space with benches, trees, flowers and tables.

An assortment of seats, tables and planters are now in place. Several donations are making the project possible. Those donors include J&D Snyder Excavating, Bluffton Stone Co., Patriot Concrete and Bluffton Presbyterian Church.

Last year, the estimated price tag for the transformation was announced at $15,000. The Icon is not aware of the final cost of the project.

The before-and-after-photo at the bottom of this series shows the alley in 2018 with an artist rendition of the finished transformation.