City Poised to Pull Trigger on $3.4 M Federal Street Plaza Project on Monday

Federal Street Plaza area several weeks ago as contractors began work on the First Street renovations.

The Dalles, Ore., April 10, 2026 — The long-planned downtown plaza intended to bring residents and tourists to the downtown core is expected to take center stage Monday as The Dalles City Council considers awarding a $3.398 million construction contract for the Federal Street Plaza.

An approval of the bid would move one of the city’s most visible downtown investment projects from planning into construction, adding a new public gathering space aimed at supporting business activity, events and overall downtown vitality.

It also makes the natural link to the First Street renovations occurring between Union and Laughlin streets.

The council meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 13, at City Hall, 313 Court St., and will be available via livestream on the city’s website.

The plaza is located in the vacated portion of Federal Street between Second and First streets, across from Lilo’s Hawaiian BBQ.

City staff is recommending that council award the contract to Ajax Northwest LLC, the lowest of two bidders, to construct the plaza on Federal Street between East First and East Second streets. The site includes portions of vacated street right-of-way and the Transportation Building, which are being repurposed into a public plaza.

Architectural rendering of the Federal Street Plaza from Walker-Macy. The council could award the construction contract to Ajax Northwest on Monday night at its regular city council meeting.

Ajax Northwest also won the bid to do the First Street renovation work.

Plans outlined in the meeting materials show a project that goes beyond a simple streetscape upgrade. The plaza would include a splash pad and pump station, ADA-accessible pedestrian improvements, stormwater upgrades, shade structures, seating areas and renovations to the existing building — elements designed to create a destination space rather than a pass-through corridor.

To see additional renderings of the plaza once complete click here.

Money

The city has budgeted $4,915,899 for the overall project, including design, construction and related costs. Of that, about $4.02 million is currently needed to cover construction and design contracts, with additional expenses such as furnishings and contingency planned through reserve funds.

Funding is layered across multiple sources, including $520,000 in grants, $2.67 million in special enterprise zone funding, $390,000 in transportation and ADA program funds, and $437,000 from the city’s General Fund capital improvement dollars.

If approved, the contract would take affect on April 14, with construction scheduled to be completed by Oct. 2, 2026.

Fee Changes?

Beyond the plaza, council will weigh a set of fee changes that could affect how residents interact with city services — from renting park space to requesting public records.

Among the proposed changes:
– Lowering certain park-use permit fees, including reducing single-day exclusive use from $250 to $150 and nonexclusive use from $100 to $50, in an effort to encourage use of the city’s permitting system.
– Adding a $160 administrative fee for some land use and development applications.
– Introducing a $3 replacement tag fee and a $3 credit card processing fee for dog licenses.
– Increasing the hourly rate for public records requests from $25 to $50, the first adjustment since 2001.

City staff notes in the packet that the records fee increase is intended to better reflect actual staff time costs and reduce reliance on the General Fund, while keeping requests under one hour free.

Dog Licensing

Council will also consider a follow-up ordinance refining the city’s dog-control code ahead of a new licensing system set to begin July 1. According to staff, the changes are administrative and designed to make the program easier to manage, particularly with a third-party licensing provider.

The updates would shift rabies verification to the city’s internal licensing records rather than relying on tags, simplify how residents qualify for reduced or waived fees, and clarify the city’s authority to issue and replace tags. Staff emphasized that the ordinance does not create or increase any impoundment fees.

Presentation on Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion

Earlier in the meeting, councilors are scheduled to receive a presentation on the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, which redirects people accused of low-level, nonviolent offenses toward services instead of jail. Program data in the packet shows 76 referrals since March 2025, with 24 individuals diverted or in the diversion process as of early April. The program is supported by $150,000 per county annually through state funding for the current biennium.

Watch the CCCNews’ Podcast on the this program here.

The council meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 13, at City Hall, 313 Court St., and will be available via livestream on the city’s website. The agenda also includes routine consent items, reports and executive sessions on litigation and labor negotiations.