PORT ANGELES — The City Council voted on Tuesday to name the transit center under construction at Front and Lincoln streets simply “The Gateway.”
The vote was 5-2. The motion was opposed by Mayor Gary Braun and City Council member Dan Di Guilio.
Di Guilio said he wanted the name to have the word “international” in it.
“When we first began development of it, it was intended to be an economic development project to draw people up through The Gateway and into the downtown,” he said.
“It is critical that ‘international’ remain in the name.”
The working name of the project has been the Port Angeles International Gateway Multi-Modal Transportation Center.
“The title . . . has been used during the formal planning and federal grant application process,” Richard Bonine, deputy director of recreation, wrote in his recommendation to council.
“While very descriptive, the long title presents a variety of challenges in signage, and ease of recognition and use by the public.”
Joint project
The Gateway center is a joint project of the city of Port Angeles and Clallam Transit on East Street and East Railroad Avenue between North Lincoln Street and North Laurel Street.
The project began in June 2007 and is expected to be completed this month.
The city of Port Angeles budgeted $14.7 million for the project, $8.16 million of which is funded by state and federal grants.
About a half-hour after the vote, City Council member Larry Williams proposed reconsidering the motion.
“I personally would hate to move forward without some type of broad consensus,” Williams said.
“I’m not locked into naming it The Gateway, or if it needs ‘international’ in it.
“I’m a lot more flexible than what it may seem.”
Not international
Council member Don Perry said the word “international” was no longer appropriate.
“In 1995, when it was first envisioned, it was exactly that, it was an international gateway, and it was going to have all kinds of things, and draw some international tourism,” Perry said.
“It has been scaled down considerably, and I don’t see a whole lot of ‘international’ happening in it.”
Di Guilio said he still wanted the word “international” added to the name.
“There were good intentions for this in 1995 when it was envisioned,” he said.
“Don’t forget that this is a city project with just a small Transit element.
“Don’t lose sight that it isn’t a Transit Center project.”
The motion to reconsider failed by a vote of 4-3 with Williams, Braun and Di Guilio supporting it.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
