Downtown Sandpoint reopens for business

SANDPOINT — Business owners, Sandpoint officials and Greater Sandpoint Chamber staff gathered Thursday to celebrate the official reopening of the city’s downtown following the completion of the second phase of the city’s downtown revitalization project.

Mayor Shelby Rognstad and business owners from the Sandpoint Downtown Shopping District and Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce to mark the conclusion of the three-year construction project. The project involved the removal and replacement of all elements of the street and sidewalk storefront-to-storefront, Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said. All told, the project included all new sidewalks, landscaping and stormwater treatment, seating, bike racks, lighting, signage and other features.

Phase 1 construction was completed on Cedar Street between Fifth and Second avenues in May 2019. The project’s second phase, which runs from Cedar Street at Second Avenue to the intersection of First Avenue and Church, began in early September 2019 and shut down for the winter just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Construction resumed in March 2020 and was completed on June 5.

The project was completed on-time, in accordance with all original completion dates, Stapleton said. The total cost of Phase 2 is $2,864,000. This is 12.5% less than the anticipated budget and includes all engineering, construction and city staff time.

The contractor was Sonray Enterprises, LLC. Century West Engineers performed the design and HMH Engineering, along with City staff completed inspections and construction management.

The total cost of all phases completed to date is $5,676,473. Construction is both phases was completed under budget, Stapleton said.

The project was funded by the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency and through a Community Development Block Grant awarded by the Idaho Department of Commerce. A third phase is anticipated to be designed in 2022 and construction begin in late 2022 or 2023.