PORT ANGELES — The Gateway transit center buzzed with local merchants and curious customers Wednesday during the downtown facility’s first full day open after it was completed earlier this week.
The Wednesday Port Angeles Farmers Market got the first go at The Gateway’s pavilion, which was open to the public for the first time Tuesday, and although there were some logistical problems with setting up that afternoon, merchants and customers agreed that the market had found a sweet spot.
“I think it’s great,” said Lela Copeland, of Lazy J Farm.
“It’s a comfortable environment to keep people here.”
Market Manager Michele d’Hemecourt said the market had 18 vendors that day, a long way above the average of about five at the Wednesday market, which is usually at Laurel and First streets, and possibly a record.
“The food, the crafts — everybody wanted to be here,” she said.
Two-week trial
The Wednesday Farmers Market is using The Gateway — on Front and Lincoln streets and Railroad Avenue — as a two-week free trial.
It will return there next Wednesday.
Daily rental of the pavilion is $75.
The Gateway’s pavilion was opened Tuesday after the city of Port Angeles confirmed that a structural repair to its eastern foundation wall had reached its intended strength.
The summer Wednesday market and possibly the year-round Saturday market — located in the parking lot of the Clallam County Courthouse at 223 E. Fourth St. — may be moved there permanently, d’Hemecourt said. But a decision has not been made.
Kimberly Major-Brown, owner of Kimberly’s Candles and More, said The Gateway appeared to attract “a lot of different people” from the Wednesday market’s previous location.
“I did the Wednesday market a little last year, and I’m doing better here,” she said.
James Dean, of Tuna Dan, agreed that the new location was attracting more people that day.
“It’s a lot more visible at the intersection,” he said. “There’s a lot more foot traffic.”
Cindy Elstrom, Farmers Market board member and owner of Magnificent Mud and Funky Fabrics, agreed that the additional foot traffic was a plus.
Harder to set up
But she also acknowledged the challenge of setting up at the location.
Because of limited access, the vendors can’t set up all at once. They drive in one at a time, unload and park elsewhere.
“It’s a great spot if we can overcome the logistics,” Elstrom said.
Farmers Market customers Jean Sigmar and Lee Thornton both approved of the new location.
“It’s just a more interesting spot, and it’s right in the middle of the action,” Sigmar said. “It makes it look like Port Angeles is alive.”
Said Thornton: “It’s more of a center-point for activity. It helps determine the purpose of what the facility is.”
A celebration ceremony for the completion of The Gateway is in the works but has not been scheduled.
The Gateway center has a total of 169 parking spaces — which include free three-hour spaces, parking spaces that cost $11 a day and permitted spaces for $15 a month — and also includes a transit lane, office for the Police Department’s downtown resource officer, a break room for bus drivers and a clock tower.
Originally scheduled to be completed in November, the opening was put on hold while cracks in the pavilion were analyzed and repairs made.
Most of the parking spaces at The Gateway were opened May 22. The transit lane was opened April 13. Duane Benedict, Port Angeles Police Department downtown resource officer, moved into his office in late April.
The joint project of the city and Clallam Transit was budgeted at $14.7 million, but the total cost has not been determined.
The project will be about $41,500 over budget if the City Council approves about $48,000 in additional construction management services provided by Exeltech of Olympia.
Additional costs may include $46,456 in compensation that the project’s designer, Krei Architecture and its sub-contractor, Bright Engineering Inc., have sought for designing a structural repair for the project’s pavilion and for engineering services from Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
