Heritage Park Project

What will be done during this phase of construction?

Phase 4 work includes the following:

• Widening the portion of 5th Avenue adjacent to Heritage Park to accommodate new 5-foot wide bike lanes on both sides of the street. Installation of a new sidewalk and new streetlights along 5th Avenue.
• Widening the section of Water Street and Seventh Street adjacent to the park by approximately 20 feet to create 60-degree, angled, back-in parking. The number of parking stalls along Water Street will be increased from the present 27 to 55. New 10-foot-wide sidewalks will also be installed. Utility lines paralleling the street will be buried during this phase, although the utility poles will remain because three high-voltage lines cannot be placed underground at this time. Puget Sound Energy plans on relocating the three lines within ten years.

When will construction be done?

The park is scheduled for completion by 2011, if funded by the Legislature. Phase 4 began in December 2001 and is scheduled for completion by December 2002.

What will this phase of construction cost?

This phase of work will cost about $1.5 million. The total cost of the park is estimated at $26.5 million.

• Widening 5th Avenue (Budget about $800,000) – Hamilton Construction
• Widening Water and Seventh Street (Budget about $715,000) – Wilder Construction

How will Phase 4 impact people who use the park?

• The playground equipment that was located near the restroom building in Heritage Park has been relocated to City of Olympia property adjacent to Percival Landing. It was necessary to move the play equipment because it was in the pathway of the construction project.
• Portions of Water and Seventh Street adjacent to Heritage Park will be closed to traffic during this phase of work. Only five on-street parking sites will be available during construction.
• A separate project – stabilizing the hillside south of Heritage Park and north of the Temple of Justice – has closed the pathway connecting Capitol Campus to the park. A new pathway is being constructed and the hillside will be landscaped with heather and native plants. This project will also create a stable foundation for construction of the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial. This project will be completed by June 30, 2003.

What other projects are going on that affect the use of Heritage Park?

• Deschutes Parkway: The entire roadway is presently closed for repairs due to earthquake damage. It is scheduled to be open for vehicular and pedestrian traffic by Christmas 2002. For the latest information, please go to http://www.ga.wa.gov/equake/lake.html
• Downtown Improvement Projects: The City of Olympia and other local government agencies have several major projects going on that impact the area surrounding Heritage Park. For the latest information on these projects, please go to http://www.olybridge.com/improvements.asp