Published January 2003

Wider Hewitt Avenue sports new streetscape

Snohomish County Business Journal/JOHN WOLCOTT The new $72 million Everett Special Event Center under construction at Hewitt Avenue and Broadway will benefit from the $12 million sewer project and streetscape construction recently completed on Hewitt Avenue.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

The upgrading of Everett’s Hewitt Avenue sewer system may be necessary and practical infrastructure improvements, but the exciting part is above ground — the new look to the city’s main east-to-west arterial.

While the new streetscape still looks stark after replacing mature trees in the median with young, new ones, that will change as flower planters and other landscaping is finished, a beautification stage that will be enhanced as the trees grow through a few more seasons.

Stark or not, for now, the new streetscape is appealing in its wider streets, smoother sidewalks and enhancements that include old-fashioned street clocks, turn-of-the-century-styled lampposts and similarly styled canopy shelters for bus passengers.

Several cities in the Puget Sound area are upgrading deteriorating infrastructure, creating inviting new streetscapes and even building conference facilities to attract business and entertainment events to bolster the downtown economy.

Everett is doing all three.

Seven blocks of Hewitt Avenue have been given a new $12 million freshening, part of the city’s public works project to replace aging and damaged sewer and water pipes in the heart of Everett’s historic and financial districts.

Construction is under way on a $72 million, 295,000-square-foot Regional Special Event Center at Hewitt and Broadway for hockey games and conventions, due to open in September, and the first buildings have been cleared for a $167 million expansion of the Snohomish County government offices, only one block south of Hewitt Avenue.

New county facilities will include a second administration building, additional jail facilities and an underground parking garage.

Despite city efforts to alleviate construction impact on Hewitt, it was inevitable that a project of that magnitude would temporarily mean more famine than feast for many downtown businesses.

“People still aren’t aware (Hewitt Avenue) has re-opened. Our business (is) down about 50 percent,” said Thanh-Thuc Pham, owner of the Mekong Everett imported foods and gift store on Hewitt Avenue.

At Taco Del Mar on Hewitt Avenue, owners Tammy and Larry Lehtonen said their business revenues have been down more than 30 percent since last spring, and they’re glad to see the street project finished.

Now that Hewitt Avenue has re-opened, the focus is shifting more to the future benefits from the project than dwelling on the months of inevitable traffic re-routing, parking inconvenience and disrupted business activity.

Since $9 million of the $12 million price tag on the Hewitt Avenue project was planned anyway to replace sewer, water and gas lines, and install telecommunications conduit and new traffic signals, the city chose to tack on significant streetscape improvements to enhance the thoroughfare.

Public forums held by the city offered guidance from residents for planning how the new street in one of the city’s oldest business districts would look, and the comments were solidly in agreement — the new streetscape should look — old.

The city’s project manager for the Hewitt Avenue work, Mark Sadler, said public input showed the community’s vision for the new downtown streetscape definitely emphasized old-style lampposts and antique street clocks in the historic district. Even the new bus-stop shelters are shaped in 1920s’ design with nostalgic eye-appeal.

To put the finishing touches on the new Hewitt Avenue, more than 30 Red Sunset maple trees have been planted in the median, plus more than 60 smaller Raywood ash trees along the sidewalk and curb areas.

The scope of the project also included installing new water lines along several blocks of a north-south thoroughfare, Wetmore Avenue, and converting both Wetmore and Hoyt avenues from one-way to two-way streets to improve traffic flow through areas that include the new event center, county government office complex and Everett’s downtown district.

Wilder Construction Co. of Everett was the contractor for the $12 million Hewitt Avenue project, and Perteet Engineering of Everett developed traffic patterns and improvements.

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