Pullman begins downtown reconstruction

The city of Pullman’s elaborate plan to reconstruct downtown began Monday.

Passersby observed streets colored orange with traffic cones and work signs as crews started to break ground.

The project is a city-led initiative to rebuild Pullman’s streets, public spaces and infrastructure. It involves all of Main Street, from Grand Avenue to Spring Street. Crews from Apollo Inc., a Kennewick construction company, will fully upgrade downtown’s utilities, streets, sidewalks and more.

Construction is anticipated to last six months, wrapping up Oct. 1. Crews began work on Olsen and Paradise streets Monday. Olsen was reconfigured to provide additional parking, going from four lanes to two with diagonal parking. Crews also restriped Paradise in preparation for detoured traffic.

Main will be closed to through-traffic during the entirety of the project. Traffic has been rerouted onto Paradise in both directions, while truck traffic is detoured to Bishop Boulevard.

The project has been in the works for about four years and has faced several obstacles in that time. Multiple adjustments were made to its timeline due to inflated construction costs and contractors hesitant to perform the work.

It was originally expected to be built in summer 2023 in four months, but officials determined it was too expensive with the post-pandemic construction market. The city experienced setbacks again when it received no bids, sending the project out for the first time in November.

The project is also over budget, costing nearly $11.7 million total, with $8.7 of that figure for construction. Welch Comer, a engineering firm based in Coeur d’Alene, first estimated the work to cost $9.4 million, or 11% less than actual costs.

The city was allotted $9.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. About $6.9 million is available for construction after funds were used to create the project’s design.

Pullman City Councilors approved a project budget to make up for additional costs. It includes funding from local city tax budgets, like the city’s water and sewer utility funds and other funding options. It’s believed this won’t affect the city’s operations and wont delay any projects.

The project also created controversy among residents and business owners. Many were concerned about the removal of all downtown trees and how businesses in the area would survive during the work. Components of the layout were also disputed, like bike lane placement, removal of Pine Street Plaza pavers, reduced traffic lanes and Pullman Walk of Fame monuments. The monuments were the only item edited in the plan.

Citizens perused downtown Monday while work began.

Dom England, a Washington State University student, said the town needs the project. He said he moved to Pullman two years ago and has noticed that sidewalks are “scuffed up.” He added he still plans to visit downtown during construction as long as the sidewalks are open.

Branden Buell, a WSU student, said he isn’t excited about construction noise. A resident of Main Street, he said he’s worried about finding parking and getting in and out of his apartment.

He added he’s heard the project has had a large effect on businesses. Some, like the Pups and Cups cafe, will close during the work.

A man who identified himself as V Marx, of Pullman, is skeptical of the project. He said it was too late and should have been done in the 1990s. He added when he moved to Pullman 14 years ago, the roads were just as bad as they are now.

He thinks the project is a “waste of time,” and speculates Pullman will become a ghost town with the “corrosion” of WSU. But he said he can’t wait to see new asphalt and how work progresses.

“You might as well enjoy it now,” Marx said. “Because this is the last time they’re going to do anything for a long, long time.”

Learn more about Project Downtown Pullman by visiting projectdowntownpullman.org.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com