Experience Chehalis, in partnership with the City of Chehalis, is hosting two more open house events for its Imagine Downtown Chehalis project following the first held at the beginning of June, according to a City of Chehalis news release.
The next open house will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chehalis Coworks, located at 478 N. Market Blvd. in downtown Chehalis.
It will be followed by another on the same day in downtown Chehalis from 5 to 7 p.m. at Stout Coffee House, located at 517 NW Pacific Ave.
Imagine Downtown Chehalis is a multi-year downtown rejuvenation and revitalization project aimed at improving the downtown area while preserving Chehalis’ history.
It was set in motion earlier in January when the Chehalis City Council approved a contract with HBB Landscape Architecture of Seattle to act as the project consultant. The specific area Imagine Downtown Chehalis covers includes Market Boulevard, Washington and Pacific avenues, and Boistfort Street.
Those who visit, shop and dine in the downtown area along with property owners, business owners and residents are invited to attend.
Improvements currently being considered include sidewalk and lighting upgrades, better roadways and optimized traffic flow through the downtown area. Preliminary design options will be debuted at the Aug. 13 open houses for public review.
“Valuable input provided by citizens and business owners throughout the year will shape the final decisions for the master plan, ensuring that downtown Chehalis meets the needs of its residents while becoming a safer, more accessible and cohesive hub for businesses, locals and visitors,” the release stated. “The open houses on Aug. 13 are crucial opportunities to align citizen priorities with any proposed improvements.”
During the first open house in June, attendees were invited to suggest other improvements, which so far include proposals to add blinking lights on sidewalks, create bike lanes, build a skate park, install decorative light poles, add more plants for pollinators, highlight existing murals and create more of them, and have brick or stamped-pattern sidewalks.
“The community is invited to learn about preliminary design options and contribute to the vision for a revitalized downtown. City and project staff will be available to answer questions and share information about project goals, funding and timeline,” the release added.
For those unable to attend the upcoming open houses, additional opportunities to provide public input will be held as the Imagine Downtown Chehalis project continues progressing.
To learn more about the project, visit https://experiencechehalis.com/imagine-chehalis/.
