Urban Renewal dialing in on First Street; Proposal for pedestrian-friendly upgrade aims for 2027 finish

Planning and Urban Renewal Director Joshua Chandler will provide a presentation on the next steps for the First Street renovation between Union and Laughlin streets in The Dalles on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The street was the original epicenter of business and industry as The Dalles took shape in the 1800s.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 19, 2025 — The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency will get its most detailed look yet at the long-planned First Street Project on Tuesday night, Aug. 19 — including a $6.92 million price tag, a construction timeline that runs into 2027, and the archaeological and historic-resource mitigation the project must navigate in the heart of downtown.

The project is often described as the companion and connecting piece to the Federal Street Plaza which is scheduled for construction in 2026. It aims to bolster an event area and pedestrian friendly atmosphere for both locals and visitors while spurring economic growth in the historic downtown corridor.

Looking west toward Court Street and the Baldwin Saloon. This shows the current status of the street compared to that of rendering of the street once the work is completed in 2027.

First Street maintains some major advantages and disadvantages - while the street is not part of the state highway system like Second and Third Streets, it can be closed more easily for local events. It is also used far less by vehicle traffic, providing a more welcoming atmosphere for walking. However, it maintains the disadvantage of being next to the noise of Interstate 84 and the Union Pacific railroad track.

The Dalles’ long-planned overhaul of First Street dating back two decades would replace failing retaining walls and sinking sidewalks, add landscaping and a protected bike lane, and likely close the corridor for about a year during construction, according to a July 28 briefing to the City Council. 

Urban Renewal Manager Joshua Chandler is slated to brief the renewal board on costs, funding set-asides, and next steps on Tuesday night. 

In his presentation packet, he pegs construction at $5.42 million plus contingency, with additional design, administration, right-of-way, and testing costs bringing the total to $6.92 million. 

“We’ve been slowly saving for this project for many years,” Chandler told City Councilors in July, noting $3.5 million in the City’s Fund 18 and $3.2 million in urban renewal dollars are already budgeted, with $1.5 million spent to date on planning. 

If approved by the urban renewal board, final documents would wrap in late summer, bidding would occur in fall/winter, and construction would start as early as winter 2025–26, finishing in spring 2027.

Example of stacked rock walls and failing sidewalks on First Street - this photo was taken next to the near the Baldwin Saloon at First and Court Streets.

The most complex—and expensive—work targets blocks where dry-stacked rock retaining walls are leaning toward buildings and sidewalks are collapsing. After a 2021 analysis recommended full replacement, the City chose gabion walls with a basalt face to echo the historic look.

“They’re basically baskets full of rocks,” Chandler said of the gabions, adding the walls alone account for roughly $1 million of the cost. The removal of the walls, instead of reuse and or restoration, does not sit well with locals looking to preserve the historic character of First Street. 

The project must also account for the corridor’s cultural layers. 

The project area overlaps four designated archaeological zones, including the city’s historic Chinatown block. State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviewers concluded the work will have an “adverse effect,” triggering mitigation. Chandler outlined measures such as re-installing an old sidewalk freight door as a non-functional feature within a planter, retaining a historic façade remnant, adding interpretive signs (potentially with QR codes), and stamping the Chinese name for The Dalles into new sidewalks at several locations. SHPO staff walked the site in June as part of a memorandum-of-agreement process with stakeholders. 

Looking west toward Washington Street and the Zilka Building. This shows the current status of the street compared to that of rendering of the street once the work is completed in 2027.

Tuesday’s presentation arrives after months of groundwork. In May, Chandler told the board that landscape firm Walker Macy was developing renderings to improve public communication, that SHPO review was underway with a mitigation plan expected, and that early-June repaving of the First Street parking lots would proceed under an on-site archaeologist with notices to nearby owners and outreach to adjacent businesses.

Who pays — and why it matters

The packet frames First Street as a capstone investment to “complete a key major project before [the] District sunset in 2029,” tying downtown improvements to riverfront access while avoiding future cost escalation. The agency cites recent investments (Federal Street Plaza, Light Capsule, First Street parking lots) as connected pieces.

Parking lots: transfer on the table

Recently paved parking lot next to the Wing Hong Hai Company building in foreground at First and Court streets.

Separately, the board will discuss transferring ownership of two First Street parking lots to the City of The Dalles, consolidating public-parking oversight and shifting long-term maintenance and liability to the city. The two lots — roughly 13,980 sq. ft. at First & Court (“Lot A”) and 9,240 sq. ft. mid-block between Court and Washington (“Lot B”) — were recently improved with fencing ($10,415.70), city paving/striping ($54,406.45) and archaeological services during resurfacing ($15,439.00). Staff recommends pursuing a full ownership transfer rather than just management.

Recently paved parking lot at near the corner of Washington and First streets.

Lot A carries a long-term lease tied to the Commodore II redevelopment (2003–2053) at $1 per year for tenant parking; any redevelopment would require replacing 38 stalls (including two ADA) within 600 feet. Historic paperwork also shows an expired right-of-first-refusal agreement that once covered future redevelopment of the Commodore lot. If the transfer advances, the city would assume the lease obligations and any future redevelopment coordination.

Public records fees up for adoption

In its lone action item, the board will consider adopting its own Public Records Policy and setting a $25-per-hour staff time fee for responding to requests, effective Wednesday. The draft mirrors the city’s 2023 policy (with agency-specific updates) and, while the fee isn’t new in practice, state law requires an opportunity for public comment because a fee is being prescribed by resolution. The resolution would take effect Aug. 20, 2025.

Also on the agenda

The board will hold elections of officers, approve minutes from May 20 and July 15, and take public comment. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 313 Court St., with remote access by Zoom.