Ramon and Alma Vaca had just opened their new restaurant, El Rancho de las Vacas, in March of this year. Within a month, road construction began in front of their establishment as the second phase of the North First Street upgrade got underway.
Alma Vaca said project contractor Total Site Services, subcontractors and their workers helped with access to the restaurant at 1023 N. First St.
“We bought the building in March, and it was a difficult time because of the pandemic and the start of construction,” she said. “It was difficult in the beginning, when they were working on this side (of First Street). But whenever we needed the entrance to be cleared, the workers helped us. They also helped with signs for the temporary entrance.”
As the end of November approaches, businesses along North First Street have something to be thankful for: the conclusion of the city’s second phase of revitalization along the busy corridor.
Since Phase 2 of the project began in April, traffic was reduced to two lanes with sometimes-lengthy lines of vehicle backups, and access to businesses between N and I streets on either side of First Street was restricted to narrow and temporary driveways across a construction zone.
Waffles Caffe owner Jim Camarata has owned his breakfast and lunch restaurant at 1510 N. First St. since 1998, and his business was directly affected by Phase 1 of the revitalization project, which took place in 2019.
The second phase was much less stressful for him and his customers, but it still had some effect, as lane closures just south of Waffles Caffe caused backups, especially at the signal at I and First streets.
“Maybe a little bit — some of our customers from downtown may not have come out due to the construction and the traffic,” Camarata said.
The revitalization effort is a three-phase project stretching from the U.S. 12 interchange to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, intended to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians while increasing the economic development potential for the North First Street corridor, one of the main entrances to the city, Yakima officials said.
Phase 1 of the North First Street Revitalization Project was completed in December 2019. It included improvements between U.S. Highway 12 to the north and N Street to the south. It cost about
$3.3 million and was paid for mostly with federal and state funds.
The second phase of the project, begun in April and expected to conclude early next month, rebuilt First Street, added bike lanes, upgraded the water main and added a stormwater system, sidewalk and lighting between N and J streets.
As of Wednesday,Nov. 24, 2021, work on the main roadway appeared to be complete, and crews were concentrating on sidewalk improvements near the Benchmark Gas Station at 1202 N. First St. and the Jack in the Box restaurant at 1002 N. First St.
A few details remain to be completed because of supply chain issues affecting when some materials arrive, said Randy Beehler, communications and public affairs director for the city of Yakima. The goal is to have the second phase done by the end of the calendar year.
The cost for Phase 2 is about $2.6 million, which will be paid through a combination of water, sewer and stormwater funds, as well as Transportation Benefit District funds from a $20 annual car tab fee adopted by the Yakima City Council during its 2018 budget process.
The time frame for Phase 3, which would provide improvements from J Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is dependent on funding, Beehler said. The city continues to seek state and federal funds for Phase 3, which has an estimated cost of $12 million.
Alma Vaca believes the access issues and traffic of construction will be worth it when the project is done.
“It’s looking very good,” she said of the nearly finished project. “It is a lot better, a better look for Yakima with a new roadway, sidewalks and trees in the center.”
Camarata believes the road project will improve access for First Street businesses, but other problems remain.
“In order to really improve the area, they need to do something about the homeless situation,” he said. “That’s probably the main reason there are so many vacant businesses.”
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November 29, 2021 at 08:00PM
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Yakima businesses anticipate better access as North First Street work concludes - Yakima Herald-Republic
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