Cleveland Avenue rebuild: $4.4M grant plus town funds to remake Wellington’s Main Street with drainage, sidewalks and parking

Wellington public-works staff and Larimer County engineering partners presented plans to rebuild Cleveland Avenue (the state highway through downtown) from First to Fifth Street with new drainage, sidewalks, curb and gutter, lighting and reconfigured parking.

Bob Gowling, Wellington public works director, said the town and county secured approximately $4.4 million in grant funding through a regional program and added local funds to extend the project scope. “With that $4,400,000 in grant money, we've added quite a bit of town money,” he said, and the project team is refining design and amenities so critical civil work is prioritized in the budget.

Design highlights include creation of an underground storm-drain system where none exists today, curb extensions (bulb-outs) to shorten pedestrian crossings, ADA-compliant directional ramps, a three‑lane section with a center turn lane, and reconfigured diagonal “head‑in” parking to maximize spaces. Project staff said the plan will create roughly 90 parking spaces and eight handicap-accessible spaces in the corridor. Bob Gowling said the design is focusing on safety and traffic calming.

Project timing: staff reported they expect to begin construction late summer or early fall and estimated about four to five months of construction activity for the heavy civil elements, with paving and remaining civil work continuing into 2026. The town presented an approach separating essential civil work (asphalt, drainage, ADA ramps) from streetscape amenities (benches, lighting fixtures and landscaping) so amenities could be deferred if bids exceed current budgets.

Business outreach and mitigation: town staff, Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce have convened a Cleveland Construction Committee to work with businesses on parking alternatives, signage and event coordination during construction. Officials acknowledged on-street parking will be affected and said they plan supplemental parking strategies and directional signage to maintain customer access.

Why it matters: the downtown thoroughfare rebuilding will affect access to businesses, pedestrian safety, stormwater handling and the public realm for several years while construction proceeds. Officials said the project also provides an opportunity to modernize utilities and underground power feeds through the corridor and to install new lighting and irrigation for streetscape enhancements.

Next steps: finalize design details (lighting, benches, landscaping), prepare bid documents with alternates for amenity items, coordinate a construction phasing and business-support plan with the Cleveland Construction Committee, and begin construction as funding and contract awards allow.