PORT TOWNSEND — The city’s refurbished visitors center may be ready to open to the public as early as Christmas Eve.
But it’s more likely that the spiffed-up building, with modern public washrooms replacing the interim portable restrooms toward the end of Water Street, will be ready for public use by about New Year’s Day, said Tom Miller, project manager.
“We’re very close at this point,” said Planning Director Rick Sepler, awaiting delivery of a door and then final inspection.
The project was plagued by delay earlier when five buried fuel tanks were discovered during excavation around what had until recently been the city’s police station, with an adjacent aging public restroom housed in the historic Cotter Building, once a proud two-story waterfront structure.
Cleanup — with the help of volunteers — was started in November 2009, and the cost went up to an estimated $1.17 million, Miller said.
Miller said the city is hopeful of getting some additional state grant money for toxic cleanup to mitigate the cost.
Work on the Pope Marine Park next door is progressing, and there are plans for an imminent closure of Madison Street across from City Hall and that part of Water Street as those parts of the city’s multimillion-dollar historic district renovation take shape.
The closure will be disruptive, just as the earlier closure of the end of Water Street for the earlier Madison Street improvements around the Maritime Center were disruptive, and the city will meet with property owners next week about that phase.
The Waterfront Esplanade behind the visitors center remains a big question mark.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit that city officials expected weeks ago seems to be held up indefinitely because of federal employment cutbacks, city officials said.
“After two years, we’re still waiting,” Miller said.
Six weeks ago, corps officials were telling the city that the permit was about ready to be delivered, Sepler said. Then, they learned that personnel cuts had delayed it, and everything is still up in the air, he said.
Without the corps permit, the city can’t go ahead with design or grant applications.
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Julie McCormick is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend. Phone her at 360-385-4645 or e-mail juliemccormick10@gmail.com.
