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Pullman marks completion of downtown overhaul; city to be reimbursed for contaminated soil removal
Summary
City officials presented a wrap-up of the Main Street reconstruction project, reported final costs and change orders, and approved a settlement with Chevron to reimburse the city nearly $113,000 for petroleum-contaminated soil found during construction.
Pullman city officials on June 10 presented a formal completion report for the multi-million-dollar Downtown Pullman reconstruction project and approved a settlement with Chevron Environmental Management Company to reimburse the city for contaminated soil removal costs.
The Downtown Pullman project, described by Public Works Director Sean Wells as one of the largest capital projects in recent city history, rebuilt sidewalks, installed underground utilities and stormwater improvements, added landscaping and pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and upgraded infrastructure to reduce flooding in the downtown core. "We put down over 3,600 tons of asphalt," Wells said, and the contractor logged more than 20,000 construction hours without reportable safety incidents.
City staff reported that the project encountered pockets of petroleum-contaminated soil while installing underground utilities near the former Chevron service station at 485 E. Main Street. Clayton Forsman, deputy public works director, said the contaminated soils were tested and hauled to an approved disposal facility and that direct costs for the extra work totaled just under $113,000. The council adopted Resolution R‑18‑25 authorizing a settlement agreement with Chevron to reimburse the city for those costs; the council approved the resolution by voice vote.
Interim City Administrator Jeff (last name not provided in the transcript) summarized project finances, saying the original estimated project budget presented in February 2024 was about $12 million (including professional services). After six change orders — largely related to underground, unanticipated work — the project is projected to finish with roughly a 3% increase over the original estimate. Jeff said that federal American Rescue Plan (SLFRF) funds provided the bulk of project funding and that other grants (a $1 million TIB grant and two rural-county grants totaling $300,000) reduced the city’s local funding burden; with grant receipts the share of grant funding rose to over 87%.
Officials detailed several community benefits added during construction, including three new fire service stub-outs for property owners, five new dedicated accessible parking stalls, a near-complete ADA-compliant sidewalk system on Main Street, and expanded stormwater capacity to prevent downtown flooding. Sean Wells noted the contractor and design team documented more than 2,600 inspection photos for long-term record keeping.
Council members commended staff and consultants for handling a complex, 10-month construction schedule and for coordinating change orders that reflected public input and additional enhancements. Jeff explained the contract schedule and milestone dates, noting that the contractor met the milestone for reopening Main Street on Nov. 13 and reached substantial completion in early December. Some physical-completion tasks extended into winter because components such as lighting cabinets and plant survival were seasonally constrained; the contract contained no liquidated damages for physical completion in those circumstances.
Forsman also explained that the city had identified and removed contaminated soil volumes (including 526 tons from the Chevron site), and the settlement agreement presented to council would provide full reimbursement for the documented removal costs. The council approved that settlement with Resolution R‑18‑25.
Council members emphasized the long-term benefits of the project, saying the upgrades reduce future maintenance risk, lower the chance of recurring sewer or stormwater failures in the downtown core and provide improved public spaces for businesses and pedestrians.
The city did not identify any additional debt connected to the project; finance staff said no long-term borrowing was needed to complete the work.
Less-critical follow-up items include final closeout paperwork, a pending reimbursement authorization for the contaminated soil removal (the settlement adopted June 10), and record-drawing archiving for future excavation or utility work.
