A winning bid to reconstruct the stretch of U.S. 160 passing through downtown Pagosa Springs could arrive as soon as Nov. 18, lending momentum to the state-led project that is expected to break ground next spring.
Main Street Coordinator Kathleen McFadden explained that bidding for the project will open on Nov. 7 — about three weeks later than originally planned — with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) due to report results back by Nov. 18.
“They will let us know how many bids they received, and if they are qualified and if they’re within budget,” McFadden told the Main Street Advisory Board during a meeting on Oct. 10.
Details about the winning bid would be scant, McFadden explained, including which company won the contract and for how much.
“[CDOT] will not give us the name of the contractor and they will not give us the amount,” McFadden explained. “Just that they are in the process of selecting a contractor and will notify us when they’ve selected one.”
Should CDOT not receive any acceptable bids for the project, McFadden noted that information would also be shared on Nov. 18.
The meeting’s venue had not been determined as of press time Wednesday, but McFadden said the public would be invited to attend the update.
In the event no acceptable bids are received, McFadden suggested the Main Street Advisory Board will regroup with the Town of Pagosa Springs to reassess the scope and budget of the project — envisioned as a revitalization of the downtown area.
What that revitalization might look like began to crystallize for McFadden during a recent trip to Del Norte, she explained, where she and Emily Lashbrooke of the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (PSCDC) toured a similar reconstruction effort that’s taking place along the town’s main street.
“The biggest takeaway was the major impact, visually, of seeing the work that’s been done compared to the work underway, compared to the work that has not yet been done,” McFadden said.
Assessing the improvements in Del Norte and wondering how to harness additional community support for Pagosa’s project, Lashbrooke and McFadden noted they realized a significant piece of the puzzle was still missing.
Recalling the moment during a PSCDC meeting on Oct. 9, Lashbrooke described the missing piece as a visual rendering of what a reconstructed main street would look and feel like once complete.
“If the general community had a drawing or rendering of what this project is going to look like when it gets done, it can change that negative tone to a positive very quickly,” Lashbrooke said.
Together, Main Street and the PSCDC are pursuing grants to fund the rendering work, which they guessed could cost up to $40,000.
“We’ve already checked with CDOT,” Lashbrooke said, “and they do not have the funding to do those renderings, and they don’t normally do that on a project.”
In addition to the visualization, the Main Street board is exploring ways to minimize disruptions to traffic and local businesses during reconstruction.
One approach will be assembling a grant-funded assistance program designed to offset expenses and potential lost revenues for businesses impacted by the project.
“We’re very confident that we’re going to be able to make that happen,” McFadden said of the nascent program. “We believe it’s … this grant money that could be the make or break for businesses in our community.”
Main Street Advisory Board member Rosanna Dufour suggested the effort could help assuage lingering concerns over short-term economic losses during the project.
“I think it will change the entire tone of these Cone Zone meetings,” Dufour said of the potential grant funds, and may result in “people being able to embrace the upgrade rather than focus on the impact to their business.”
Parking, too, has been on the minds of board members, and what to do about the nearly 180 spaces that are likely to be lost while construction takes place.
To make up the difference, McFadden explained the town has partnered with the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library and The Springs Resort and Spa — with the majority of temporary spaces being offered up by the resort.
“They are fully committed to working with us and providing 120 to 150 parking spaces in their south lot,” McFadden said. “That will more than take care of the parking spaces that we’re going to lose … during construction.”
Middle school greenhouse
Work to secure grant funding for a new greenhouse at Pagosa Springs Middle School is underway, McFadden reported during the Oct. 10 meeting.
Partnering with a local garden builder and supplier, the Main Street board is envisioning interior upgrades and new exterior paneling for the highway-facing structure.
The renovation, which is priced at $17,203, would include new raised beds, grow lights, specialized panels for filtering UV light and fresh paint.
“This has been a fun journey,” McFadden said, adding that she expects the grant application for the project to be completed by December, with hopes of getting “work started as soon as possible. It has to be a shovel-ready project.”
garrett@pagosasun.com
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