The City of Pullman recently presented the final report on its downtown reconstruction project to the city council. The project, which began last year, involved rebuilding Main Street, upgrading underground utilities, and adding new sidewalks and amenities. Main Street was closed to traffic during heavy construction, which started in April with an initial closure period of seven and a half months. Due to construction delays, the reopening was postponed until November 13th.

The contract with Apollo Construction included a provision for fines of $3,000 per day for any additional days Main Street was closed beyond October 15th. However, the city council extended the completion date multiple times, ultimately allowing the contractor to meet the November reopening deadline without incurring fines. Despite this, the project experienced additional delays, pushing total completion back by an additional six months. The original timeline aimed for the work to be completed by mid-November.

Financially, the project exceeded its budget by approximately $350,000, translating to a roughly 3% increase. The initial budget, which encompassed design and project management, was around $12 million. Actual construction costs totaled approximately $8.6 million, which was about $400,000 less than initial estimates. Funding for the project came from various sources, including a one million dollar grant from Washington state, $300,000 from Whitman County for economic development, and $100,000 from Chevron for soil cleanup, with the majority coming from $9.5 million in federal COVID relief funds.

An additional expense not included in the original contract was the hiring of a production company for social media videos related to the project. Welch Comer managed the downtown rebuild, and the city directed communication inquiries to them. However, details regarding payments to the video production firm, Recraft Creative, remain unclear, as the city officials indicated they do not have records of the payments. Reports suggest that Recraft Creative received between $60,000 and $75,000 for producing approximately 50 videos, which highlighted the project positively amidst the delays and budget overruns.

The downtown reconstruction faced several controversies over the years, including an initial vote by the city council to begin work in the summer of 2023, which was later postponed to 2024. The plan was to close Main Street for four months, but the timeline extended due to a lack of contractor bids. Additionally, the project faced public opposition over the removal of large trees and the proposed construction of a Walk of Fame monument, which was ultimately removed from the project scope based on community feedback.

With the project now complete, downtown Pullman features upgraded water, sewer, and stormwater lines, along with a new surface for Main Street, enhanced sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, curbs, stoplights, a dedicated bike lane, and landscaping. City officials have stated that this reconstruction represents one of the largest public works initiatives in Pullman’s history.