Imagine Downtown Chehalis
for future generations
Imagine Chehalis: A Downtown Chehalis Rejuvenation Plan
The City of Chehalis is developing a downtown rejuvenation plan that will enhance streetscapes and public spaces, improve accessibility and safety, and preserve the historic charm of the downtown area.
What is a rejuvenation plan?
A rejuvenation plan is intended to express the long-term vision for your downtown. This process will provide guidance for continued development while preserving Downtown Chehalis’s history and unique sense of place. Some of this guidance may include recommendations for improvements to infrastructure, traffic and pedestrian circulation, community events, and parking. This plan will help the city secure grants for future development and is intended to guide final design implementation as funding becomes available.
Schedule
This project began in February of 2024 and will continue through February of 2025. The process begins with a visioning phase gathering input from the community. Concepts will be developed through the summer based on the feedback received during the visioning phase. Additional outreach events will be held towards the end of summer and early fall to share and refine those concepts. A final plan will be presented in early 2025.
Everyone has a voice!
Come together. Share your thoughts. Shape the future.
Take our survey and share your thoughts on the direction of this important project. The survey will be open through September 16th.
Imagine Concepts
After gathering community feedback, suggestions, and priorities over the past year, two design concepts have been developed to guide the renovation of downtown Chehalis. Input has been collected through open houses, surveys, and community sessions held since February 2024, ensuring the project reflects the community’s vision and needs.
N Market Blvd
- Accessibility for passenger vehicles between NE Washington Ave and the alley for on- and off-street parking with alley access.
- Terraced Parklet between N Market Bivd and the alley to allow for events, farmers market spill over, and passive gathering.
- Raised table pedestrian crossing on N Market Biva provides a continuous transition between park and plaza and provides traffic-calming for pedestrian safety.
- Plaza between NW Pacific Ave and N Market Blvd with limited vehicular access to allow for events and markets.
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NE Boistfort Ave
- Accessibility for passenger vehicles between NE Washington Ave and the alley for on- and off-street parking with alley access.
- Terraced Parklet between N Market Bivd and the alley to allow for events, farmers market spill over, and passive gathering.
- Raised table pedestrian crossing on N Market Biva provides a continuous transition between park and plaza and provides traffic-calming for pedestrian safety.
- Plaza between NW Pacific Ave and N Market Blvd with limited vehicular access to allow for events and markets.
NE Washington Ave / NW Pacific Ave
- Conversion of NE Washington Ave into a two-way boulevard with one lane for each direction and a planted median to transition between the urban core of downtown Chehalis and the residential neighborhood.
- One lane of parallel parking on the west side of NE Washington Ave.
- Lane reduction on NW Pacific Ave remains one-way but reduces down to one lane, improving pedestrian access across the urban core of Downtown Chehalis.
- Angled parking on the west side of NW Pacific Ave and parallel parking and loading zones on the east side.
NE Washington Ave / NW Pacific Ave
- Conversion of NE Washington Ave into a two-way boulevard with one lane for each direction and a planted median to transition between the urban core of downtown Chehalis and the residential neighborhood.
- One lane of parallel parking on the west side of NE Washington Ave.
- Lane reduction on NW Pacific Ave remains one-way but reduces down to one lane, improving pedestrian access across the urban core of Downtown Chehalis.
- Angled parking on the west side of NW Pacific Ave and parallel parking and loading zones on the east side.
North Parking Lots
- NE Division St converted to dead-end.
- Existing grassy triangle to be redesigned into new parking lot.
- Existing parking lot redesigned for better traffic flow as well as to be able to accommodate flexible use.
N Market Blvd
- Remaining one lane, one-way, with angled parking.
- Additional ADA parking stalls within the angled parking area.
- Mid-block loading areas to limit trucks and delivery vehicles from blocking the roadway.
- Intersection improvements on the north and south ends of Market Blvd to provide continuous traffic flow and reduce conflicts.
- Widened pedestrian zone to allow more space for outdoor seating, restaurant patios, and event overflow.
- Opportunity for multi-use pathway along the east side of Market.
NE Boistfort Ave
- Accessibility for passenger vehicles between NE Washington Ave and the alley for on- and off-street parking with alley access.
- Terraced Parklet between N Market Blvd and the alley to allow for events, farmers market spill over, and passive gathering.
- Raised table pedestrian crossing on N Market Blvd provides a continuous transition between park and plaza and provides traffic-calming for pedestrian safety.
- Plaza between NW Pacific Ave and N Market Blvd with limited vehicular access to allow for events and markets.
NE Washington Ave / NW Pacific Ave
- Current traffic pattern as a one-way couplet with two lanes in each direction is maintained.
- Designated loading zones on NW Pacific Ave where business back entries are located.
- Maintains some parallel parking on Pacific and additional parallel parking on Washington.
- NE Division Street is accessible by vehicles from NE Washington Ave to access off-street parking.
NE Washington Ave / NW Pacific Ave
- Current traffic pattern as a one-way couplet with two lanes in each direction is maintained.
- Designated loading zones on NW Pacific Ave where business back entries are located.
- Maintains some parallel parking on Pacific and additional parallel parking on Washington.
- NE Division Street is accessible by vehicles from NE Washington Ave to access off-street parking.
North Parking Lots
- NE Division St converted to dead-end.
- Existing grassy triangle to be redesigned into new parking lot.
- Existing parking lot redesigned for better traffic flow as well as to be able to accommodate flexible use.
Themes
To create a cohesive design that reflects the community’s character through color and style, three themes were developed, showcasing example design elements to be incorporated into the final plan.
Updates
September 4, 2024
The City of Chehalis, with support from Experience Chehalis, is seeking your feedback on our second community survey as part of the Imagine Downtown Chehalis renovation project. Building on the valuable insights we gained from our previous survey and two open houses, we are excited to share a few proposed design concepts with you. Each idea is still in development and may evolve as we work toward a final plan. Your input is crucial in helping us determine which ideas resonate most with the community….
Full Article
July 29, 2024
The Imagine Downtown Chehalis Project, led by the City of Chehalis with support from Experience Chehalis, is hosting two open house events on Tuesday, August 13, in downtown Chehalis. The first event will be a design workshop with the public at Chehalis Coworks from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will be followed by an evening open house at Stout Coffee House from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. During these events, citizens and business owners will have the opportunity to propose and comment on preliminary design ideas for the renovation of downtown Chehalis, based on feedback gathered in earlier outreach efforts. In February, the city launched a multi-year project to revitalize the public infrastructure in downtown Chehalis. This initiative will first establish a master plan that will guide future improvements along Market Boulevard, Washington and Pacific Avenues, and Boistfort Street in the historic downtown area. The master plan may include upgraded sidewalks, optimized traffic flow, improved roadways, and enhanced lighting. The goal is to create a safer, more welcoming streetscape that fosters community and supports economic prosperity….
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News
Project Timeline
Phase 1 - Community Outreach
Phase 2 - Streetscape plan
Phase 3 -
(Future) Final Design & Implementation
Project Documents
Meet the Project Team
- The City of Chehalis selected HBB and their consultant team for the Imagine Downtown Chehalis Project. This community-invested project team working with the City and Experience Chehalis includes:
- Aaron Luoma, HBB
- Katherine Wellens, HBB
- Alex Rolluda, Rolluda Architects
- Siddharth Sivakumar, Fehr & Peers
- Juliet Vong, HBB
- Gina Parenteau, Perteet
- Matt Purvis, Rolluda Architects
- Daniel Dye, Fehr & Peers
- Emma Stone, HBB
- Janessa Donato, Perteet
- Seth Prigge, Mtn 2 Coast Surveying