PULLMAN, WA – The long planned projects for new police and fire department facilities in Pullman will likely be pushed out several years due to a lack of funding.
The city’s new proposed six-year Capital Improvement Program plan has been released. The annual plan outlines potential city construction projects through 2032. For several years, major proposed construction projects from the police and fire departments have been included in the plan. This year, city officials are pushing the projects out to 2032 as a placeholder year for possible construction.
The long planned Pullman Fire Station 3 has been delayed to 2032. This project has been in the works since a 2018 bond election. Voters in the City of Pullman agreed to a property tax increase and approved a 10.5 million dollar bond, which includes a half a million dollars to buy land an additional fire station. The land still hasn’t been purchased as officials continue to search for a location. Past discussions included Washington State University campus sites near the golf course and the Moscow-Pullman Highway. The new draft CIP estimates that station 3 will cost about 13.5 million dollars in 2032. The plan also calls for spending about 1.5 million dollars for an ambulance and an additional wildland firefighting brush truck for station 3. The document notes that WSU would help fund the project.
The plan also creates a 2032 placeholder for renovating Fire Station 2 on the North end of town on Grand Avenue. That project is expected to cost about 5 million dollars 6 years from now.
The Pullman Police Department’s long proposed facility improvements have also been bumped to a 2032 timeframe. A new police station or renovation of the current facilities is estimated to cost over 19 million dollars in 2032. The Pullman PD has moved several offices into the old city hall downtown next to the current police station.
The renovation and expansion proposal for Neill Public Library now has a 2032 placeholder. That project is estimated to cost about 19 million dollars.
The document identifies potential funding sources for these major construction projects, including grants and voter approved bonds. The city’s Capital Improvement Program Committee is set to review the plan on May 5th. It eventually needs to be approved by Pullman City Council, which will receive the plan in June.
You can read the draft CIP here https://cms3.revize.com/revize/pullman/Documents/Services/Community%20Development/Planning/Improvement%20Plans/Proposed%202027-2032%20CIP.pdf?t=202604062019090&t=202604062019090
