The DeKalb City Council Monday agreed to pursue a Lucinda Avenue reconstruction plan that will eliminate a row of parking along the street.

The design, which was approved by NIU’s environment committee, includes a raised median where it is possible and a pedestrian mall separated from the street by about 15 to 20 feet of landscaped area, said Ralph Tompkins, assistant director of public works for engineering services.

The project is expected to cost about $2 million, Tompkins said. Sources for the funding have not been identified yet.

If the project is approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation and funding provided, construction would begin in September 1990 and completed in November 1991.

While the council agreed to the Lucinda Avenue design, it could not agree on how to spend the city’s $400,000 allotted for road resurfacing in 1989. An additional $100,000 is allotted for other street maintenance. The council set a May 15 special meeting to make the decision.

A public works proposal would allocate about 65 percent of the funding to resurface parts of Seventh and Taylor streets. About 35 percent would go toward resurfacing concrete streets including parts of Eleventh Street, Shipman Place and Fisk Avenue. The city council decided on the 35 percent funding level for concrete streets in past years, Tompkins said. About 9 percent of DeKalb’s streets are concrete.

Alderman Rita Tewksbury, 4th ward, said Grove Street, which is concrete, should be repaired this summer. Under the administration proposal it would be resurfaced in 1992.

“To go to 1992, to me, is ridiculous,” Tewksbury said. “I don’t think there are very many streets in this town that are worse than Grove.”

Alderman William Hanna, 3rd ward, said the city should use a Board of Local Improvements to allow public input on which streets should be repaired.

Tompkins said the public works department’s list of roads to repair is based partly on a Pavement Condition Index and on whether the road should be repaired or reconstructed.