Just-passed state budget includes money for ‘Main Street’ project

Town Center Building District PlanThe two-year, $33.6 billion Washington state budget recently approved by lawmakers and signed by Governor Jay Inslee includes a $2 million capital budget appropriation for the City of Mountlake Terrace, much to the delight of city officials.

The money will go towards a $12 million “Main Street” revitalization project to upgrade 56th Avenue West and 236th Street Southwest within the city’s Town Center district. “The Main Street project, once completed, will provide important infrastructure to encourage private investment in the city’s downtown,” City Manager John Caulfield said on Friday.

Included in the plans for the project is laying down new street payment, reconfiguring lanes to include bike lanes, undergrounding of power lines, upgrading of utilities and stormwater systems, converting street lights to energy-efficient lighting, installing underground hydronic piping for a new energy district, widening of sidewalks, and adding trees, benches and other pedestrian amenities.

The city has now secured two-thirds ($8 million) of the $12 million they say will be needed for the project’s completion. Design is scheduled to begin later this summer and will include pre-engineering and survey work to determine a possible route for the Gateway Connector roadway planned for connecting 236th Street Soouthwest at the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center to Gateway Boulevard near 244th Street SW and Ballinger Way. Construction could then begin in late 2014 with completion tentatively set for late 2015 or early 2016, city officials said.

  1. Free money would be so much nicer if it didn’t mean we had to spend $5 for every one we are given. $10 million is still going to be a steep price for MLT residents to bear on a project whose benefits remain illusory fully 6 years after its conception.

    1. “If you build it, they will come.”

      The ballplayers in “Field of Dreams” were illusory as well.

      Although the ‘delight’ of the City Council at $2M in federal funds no doubt is very real.

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