A new civic center in Woodland could be the next step in a cross-county trail system, among other benefits to the city.
During its Sept. 5 meeting, the City Council voted 5-1 to approve a $600,000 contract with Colf Construction to build the civic center, to be located at 828 Goerig St. The 1,200-square-foot building is set to include reception, exhibit and office space, as well as public restrooms, according to a project page on the city’s website. Landscaping improvements are also included, and parking will be in a lot shared with the new Woodland Community Library, currently in development on the lot to the east of the civic center.
The civic center can also play into a plan first thought up several years ago to connect Lewis County to Clark County via a trail system. Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments Executive Director Bill Fashing spoke about the “Six Rivers Trail,” a planned 36-mile, multi-use trail going from Woodland to Lewis County, according to information from the Cowlitz Economic Development Council website.
Castle Rock was the first to move on one of the elements of the projects, with Kelso following, Fashing said. The amenities the civic center has would aid the ongoing push to see the Six Rivers Trail come to fruition.
“It’s great to see, from my perspective at least, Woodland potentially taking a step to help support that long-range regional plan network,” Fashing said.
Woodland Public Works Director Tracy Coleman said the civic center project has been in the process for over a year. It involved working with Downtown Woodland Revitalization in its efforts to expand work to the east from the Davidson Avenue strip.
Coleman said the city has also worked with Cowlitz and Clark counties for long-term planning on the Six Rivers Trail and with the library district to make sure the design of the center complemented the district’s new building.
“It’s really a conglomerate of a multitude of individuals and entities to come together,” Coleman said.
Councilor Carol Rounds noted that funding dedicated to tourism will go into this project. Ten percent of the funds will come out of Cowlitz County and the Woodland lodging tax, split 50-50, according to a staff report presented to council.
Coleman said the Cowlitz County Lodging Tax Authority put more funding toward the project when members learned the civic center would be along the Six Rivers Trail.
The bulk of the money will come out of the city’s general reserve fund, Woodland City Administrator Peter Boyce said.
Councilor John “J.J.” Burke, the lone vote against approving the contract, moved to postpone a vote. He said he only saw the contract today and questioned if any of the other councilors had time to review it. His move did not gain any support.
The city negotiated with the construction company for a lower price by using different design elements, Coleman said. She said the contract was “a little better” than other construction deals, as it stipulates that it won’t exceed the $600,000.
Councilor Aaron Alderman said the center will be an opportunity to rent out space for gatherings to draw people to the area.
“It’s a start of a new beginning for our old part of town,” Alderman said.
