COTTAGE GROVE – Excavators, asphalt pavers, signs, and other construction equipment and materials have been scattered through downtown Cottage Grove since early this year. With an end in sight, the downtown revitalization project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“We’re on track, if not a little bit ahead of schedule,” project manager Shauna Neigh said.
The current phase of the Cottage Grove Main Street Revitalization Project officially began construction with mobilization in February 2025; however, the effort is rooted in the City’s long-term planning, specifically the Main Street Refinement Plan adopted in 2016.
The project is funded mainly through a $5 million federal grant awarded by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which was financed by the American Rescue Plan (ARP). This federal investment is matched by $1.3 million in local funds, totaling over $6.3 million to upgrade five blocks of the historic commercial district, with a focus on new utilities, accessibility improvements, street paving, and landscaping.
A key component of the need for a new Main Street is the lack of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Neigh said the previous sidewalks were in poor condition and posed tripping hazards. Additionally, due to years of overlay on the roads, a large hump formed in the center of the road, making it convex.
“We wanted to make sure that it was safe downtown for people walking and driving,” she said.
Business impacts
Downtown businesses have had a front-row view of the construction since day one. It has impacted local businesses in various ways, some more than others.
For Skye Felton, owner and operator of PC Garage at 711 E. Main St., the construction for the project has undeniably affected his business’s monthly profit. Felton opened his IT service and computer repair shop in 2013, following his family’s move there.
“Our biggest challenge during the construction has been the impact on our senior customers, who are finding it difficult to bring in their devices or are choosing to avoid the area entirely,” Felton said.
Although the closure of the streets presented him with an opportunity to complete a few PC Garage projects of his own, like a facelift on the front of the building and internal changes, Felton estimated that the Main Street renovation has likely cost his business around $10,000 in gross profit per month since it began.
For store owners who rely on foot traffic, the removal of the sidewalks in May was a difficult challenge. Greg Ingold, owner of Cottage Groove Books at 637 E. Main St., felt the effects.
“Our foot traffic fell right off a cliff, and so May and June were tough,” Ingold said.
Since the bookstore has only been in business since January, Ingold couldn’t determine how much the construction has impacted his shop.
However, he did say that once the sidewalks were poured and paved, business picked up again.
“My big hope is that Cottage Grove has a really nice, clean, attractive, user-friendly downtown that’s well lit and brings people in, especially visitors coming through,” Ingold said. “It is a really neat five or six block stretch where you have turn of the century architecture, and it gives me hope that the City cares about the downtown, and wants to see it succeed.”
As of Oct. 2, the Main Street Revitalization Project continues to progress with work completed on the south side and advancements on the north side.
Underground utilities
- Installation of the new 12-inch waterline from the Coast Fork Main Street Bridge to 8th Street, and placement of new fire hydrants and water line attachments.
- Demolition of the old traffic signals and removal of old street trees.
South side (bridge to 8th Street)
- Curb, gutters, sidewalks, and sparkle concrete are complete across the entire south side, including the bulb-outs, and in the City Hall area and between 5th and 6th streets.
- Black concrete street paving is complete from the bridge to the 6th Street intersection.
- The south side of the 8th Street intersection paving (concrete and asphalt) is complete and cured.
- Bollards and truncated domes have been installed at the corners of 5th and 7th streets.
- Electrical and irrigation conduits have been placed along the south side.
Intersections and traffic
- The 5th and 7th Street intersections have been fully paved and reopened for crossing, operating as four-way stops.
- Traffic remains directed to the south side of Main Street for the entire project length, and traffic is westbound only.
- The south side of the 6th Street intersection has reopened for turns.
North side progress
- Excavation is complete up to the 7th Street intersection.
- All light poles on the south side (to HWY 99) and north side (from the bridge to 6th Street) have been wired.
- Curb and gutter has been poured from the 8th Street intersection to the project end.
- Sidewalk and sparkle is complete between 6th and 7th Street.
- The 6th Street north bulb-out has been placed, and the first concrete pour on the north side of the 6th Street intersection is complete.
Crews are currently focusing on completing concrete work. At the same time, weather permitting, including the scheduled pouring of sidewalks and sparkle from 7th Street to 8th Street, and actively preparing the roads for the second pour of black concrete.
