Installation of new lighting on Greek Row will begin as soon as the weather permits.

Parking lots from north Edgebrook Drive to south Greenbrier Road are expected to receive new light poles and lighting fixtures. ComEd will begin construction when the ground thaws, Community Services Planner Sue Guio said.

The project is expected to be completed before school is out of session, she said.

The new lighting fixtures and poles will go between several parking lots, and other parking lot fixtures will be replaced with higher-wattage lightbulbs.

The 35-foot poles will replace shorter poles and also will be added to areas that don’t have light poles to provide sufficient light for pedestrians and residents. In areas that have tall enough poles, the bulbs will be replaced with 400-watt high-pressure sodium lightbulbs. Setting the refraction to each lightbulb was crucial in the engineering plan, Guio said.

“Not only did we want to set lighting to the parking lot, we faced a challenge of not lighting nearby houses and apartments,” Guio said.

Chris Juhl, activities adviser for Greek Affairs, said the updated lighting is needed for the community.

“The area is heavily populated, and safety issues with students and residents come into play,” he said.

Since the parking lots are considered private property, the city of DeKalb didn’t fund the project. The installation and updates of the lights are funded in part by a federal grant and special service district tax.

“In order to extort taxpayers’ dollars to fund the project, a distinct amount of time has to pass to provide public hearings and opinions,” Guio said.

After responses from the community were recorded, and when the 60-day waiting period was up, planning for the project was completed.

The cost of the lighting updates is estimated at $35,000. The utility cost will run between $10,000 and $15,000 and will be divided among the properties, buildings and tenants resulting in a $2-a-month fee.

Initial stages of paperwork for the lighting updates south of Greenbrier Road are expected to begin in the near future. Guio said because the parking lots in this area are not shared, owners would be working with independent grants to fund the project.