BOARDMAN — When work concludes on Boardman’s South Main Street, not only will there be a new and improved street, but there will also be something Boardman has never had — a genuine downtown area.
City Manager Brandon Hammond said redoing South Main Street is a big step in creating what calls the “heart of Boardman.” He said the residents of Boardman want an identifiable downtown area.
“We have never really had a downtown area,” Hammond said. “We’re growing and it’s time we have a downtown area — a true gathering place for residents and visitors. The South Main Street project is the first step, creating the foundation for a welcoming, walkable downtown.
Hammond said the street has been torn out and will be rebuilt along with sidewalks, decorative light poles, gutters on both sides of the street and new landscaping. Before the work began, there were no sidewalks on South Main and only a paved walking path on the side.
“The South Main Street project has been talked about for years and years and we decided it was time to do it,” he said.
The street was in rough shape, with the city’s engineer firm giving it a “poor” rating.
The work on South Main Street runs from Interstate 84 to Wilson Lane.
South Main Street has been shut down since early October allowing for construction of a new asphalt concrete road surface, curbs and gutters, curb ramps, a center concrete median and concrete sidewalk. Storm drainage also will get improvements. Hammond said paving should be complete by the end of November.
New street will accommodate future development
South Main Street is Boardman’s main north-south arterial and is considered the “downtown” portion of the city. The city said improvements to the road will meet future traffic and pedestrian demands and accommodate future development of the area.
The cost of the project is $4.9 million. Hammond said $3.2 million will come from the city’s Central Urban Renewal Area fund and will be paid back during the next 20 years or so. The other $1.7 million is coming from the city’s general fund. A portion of the money funded a loop road that residents are using as an alternate route until South Main Street is reopened.
