Grandview’s Downtown Revitalization Efforts Come To Fruition

Plans that began two years ago are coming to fruition with this week’s ground breaking on Grandview’s Downtown Alive project.  With funding in place from federal, state, and local sources, the $3.8 million dollar renovation project is one of the Lower Yakima Valley’s most ambitious.

Grandview’s Downtown area will see wider sidewalks and new lighting, plus benches and planters while local business owners are being encouraged to follow suit and renovate their own buildings to capitalize on the look and feel of buildings dating back 100 years.  Downtown business owners worked actively with engineers and landscape architects drafting design standards to ensure historical preservation when updating storefronts.  Several businesses have already completed their renovations or are in the planning stages.  According to Cus Arteaga, Grandview City Administrator, “Our community has grown a lot over the past few years.  We have a lot of new housing, a new community college campus, a new medical clinic, and a nice pedestrian and bike pathway that complements our city entrances.  The downtown project is exciting – it is really the frosting on the cake in term of what we have done over the past few years to enhance our city’s quality of life.”

Downtown Alive is not the only project planned for Grandview.  Building will soon begin on a new $4 million dollar library which will jointly serve the city’s residents and students attending Yakima Valley Community College’s Grandview campus.  These projects will greatly enhance the Lower Yakima Valley’s historical image and quality of life for its residents.

Attributed in part to the Yakima Herald-Republic