Front Street Pedestrian Plaza moves beyond early planning phase

LEAVENWORTH — A firm tasked with designing the Front Street Pedestrian Plaza met with Leavenworth City Council on Feb. 24 to share progress updates on the project.

Beginning in September 2024, the City of Leavenworth hired Psomas to develop a 10 percent Design Report that would serve as the basis for final design and reconstruction of Front Street as a pedestrian-friendly corridor. Psomas told Leavenworth City Council that it is nearing completion of the project’s 10 percent design phase, marking a transition toward more detailed plans.

“The catalyst of this project is to fulfill that [Downtown] Master Plan,” said Psomas Project Manager Holly Williams. “So we understand this is going to be a big investment, and we want to make sure that it's a quality, long term investment.”

According to the city, the Front Street Pedestrian Plaza builds on the city’s 2009 Downtown Master Plan, the indefinite closure of Front Street to vehicular traffic in 2020, and a 2023 feasibility study recommending permanent pedestrianization. The project’s scope encapsulates the Front Street right-of-way, Front Street Park, and building entries between US-2 and Division Street, and includes improvements to 8th and 10th streets between Front and Commercial.

Representatives explained that 10 percent referred to the first phase in proportion to the entire project, which included prior study and plan reviews, site and technical analysis, community engagement, partner coordination and the development of preliminary design concepts and estimates. 

“It's also to energize the project so we're all on the same page,” said Psomas Senior Urban Designer Paul Fuesel.

Psomas is now nearing the second phase, the 30 percent design, which includes major design decisions and finalizing layouts, materials and phasing. The Psomas team outlined a number of elements that needed to be fine-tuned, such as decisions on pavement treatments and heating options, shade elements, a new bandshell in place of the Front Street Gazebo, slope refinement, Royal Lady Plaza, festival lighting, and amenities like planters, benches, receptacles, art and signage.

During the Feb. 24 presentation, the Psomas team also provided a long-term, “planning level” outlook for construction planning and cost considerations. The representatives said construction would be completed in segments to minimize economic disruptions, with vehicle and pedestrian access to storefronts maintained and work scheduled around events if needed. On previous projects, Williams said the firm has placed a liaison on site to help provide direct information to business owners. The project would start with water and sewer improvements before moving on to plaza improvements.

“It seems a little early to think about how we're going to construct this, but it's imperative that we start thinking about that now so we have a plan,” said Williams.

Noting that parts of the budget would be further refined as construction phasing and designs were confirmed, Williams and Fuesel estimated the total project construction would cost about $66 million for a 2030 build, but could range between $56 and $80 million.

Following the presentation, Leavenworth City Councilmember Mike Bedard emphasized that the project funding would not detract from residential improvement projects.

“It's really important to constantly remind people that the money comes from different sources, and there's a lot of laws around what we can and can't spend money on,” said Bedard.

Bedard suggested that funding would be sourced from lodging tax revenue, which can only be directed at tourism-related initiatives according to state law, or state and federal grants. Agreeing with Bedard, Council member Rob Eaton said he would like to put a funding strategy together as the scope of the project takes shape.

“It's going to be a strategy that's built on phasing. So I think we need to get our heads wrapped around that now, because as we go to 30 percent…We can get our strategy in place and strike when iron’s hot,” said Eaton.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media