The cost of progress

By Theresa Goffredo

Herald Writer

EVERETT — When former Everett Mayor Bill Moore railed against the Burlington Northern Railroad in the 1980s, the former military commander would threaten to park a tank on top of the tracks to block the trains.

This week, current Mayor Ed Hansen said Moore was probably smiling down from the heavens as he watched city leaders open the Pacific Avenue overpass to traffic.

Now, motorists no longer have to waste thousands of hours a year waiting for the 38 Burlington Northern &Santa Fe trains that pass through town each day. Moore would be pleased, Hansen said.

And Moore’s not the only one. Commuters and public transit enthusiasts are gleefully welcoming Everett’s newest overpass over the railroad tracks, referring to it as a gateway between I-5, downtown and the soon-to-open Everett Station.

The overpass and Everett Station also mark the multimillion-dollar investments the city has made in Everett’s east side, where leaders hope future redevelopment will turn an industrial area into a neighborhood with cafes, high-density housing and an education center.

Though the overall impact of the overpass may lessen traffic headaches and rejuvenate the neighborhood, the yearlong, $15.3 million construction project came with some sacrifices. The biggest were made by business owners whose storefronts line the surface streets around the overpass and who suffered while the closure of Pacific Street for construction choked off traffic to their shops.

Carpet and flooring store End of the Roll, owned by Bill and Terri Missler, might be the poster child for those suffering businesses.

The Missler’s business rests in the shadow of the overpass, so close that Bill Missler joked drivers will be able to fling pop cans from their car windows onto the roof of his business.

Bill Missler

And because End of the Roll, at 2303 Pacific Ave., is so close to the overpass, it’s now more difficult for customers to find it.

"When UPS calls to ask where you are, you know you’re in trouble," Missler quipped.

Missler still has his sense of humor. But because of the project, he has been forced to lay off one employee and has watched a booming customer trade drop off to almost nothing.

"That first week of construction, we made $20, and that was on a return," Missler said.

He said his business has survived by referrals, and because the landlord helped by lowering the rent.

The Misslers are in no way giving up. They’ve begun to include maps in all their newspaper display ads directing customers to their showroom. They are also hoping for more prominent signage so potential customers can see their store from the overpass.

"Before, customers could see us by just driving by, and now they are going over us. If we don’t have the signage, then we’re in no better shape than when the road was closed," Missler said. "One way or another, we’ll make it through this. We’ll just tell people they’ll like what they see when they get here, and leave a happy customer."

Dennis Irving, general manager of Performance Radiator, 2121 Pacific Ave., said to survive during construction he had to switch his focus from retail to wholesale.

"Because of construction, many folks didn’t bother to come down here, and during commuter times in heavy congestion, people were more interested in going from Point A to Point B, and getting to our store wasn’t worth the trouble," Irving said.

But Irving is also optimistic about life after construction.

"We refuse to participate in any recession," Irving said.

Charles Pearson, owner of PBBA Martial Arts, also suffered economic casualties from a lack of foot traffic. Now, Pearson has found that to get more students to his school at 3109 McDougall Ave., he’s had to quadruple the amount he spends on advertising.

Pearson, whose school went from 300 to 250 students during the construction, looks forward to the city’s plan to improve the environment east of Broadway.

"With nice lights and an effort to look upscale here, that definitely can’t hurt," Pearson said.

City leaders and Sound Transit officials know of the sacrifices the businesses have made, and thanked business owners during the overpass dedication last week.

Lee Somerstein, media relations specialist for Sound Transit, said business owners were among the main motivators behind getting the overpass opened ahead of schedule.

"It was a real key to get it open as soon as possible, because we knew the business owners were taking it in the shorts while this thing was being built," Somerstein said.

The bridge was a cooperative effort between the city, which managed the construction, and Sound Transit, which used tax money to pay for the bridge.

Besides being done quickly, the project also cost less than expected. Originally budgeted for $20 million, the overpass was finished with $4.7 million left over. The reason? There was only one change order, which cost just a few hundred dollars, an amount so small that Paul Kaftanski, the city’s executive administrator, forgot what it was for.

That leftover money will be put into the Everett Station project for such additions as the passenger platform and the south parking lot for the Sounder commuter train.

City leaders listed other benefits from the Pacific Avenue overpass:

  • Besides no more train delays, the overpass eliminates the possibility of a train-vehicle collision, said Burlington Northern spokesman Gus Melonas.

  • Opening will rebalance traffic on Pacific and Everett avenues.

  • For buses and vanpools, the overpass creates a quick trip between I-5 and Everett Station and downtown Everett.

  • The overpass will support an Everett Transit shuttle bus between Everett Station and downtown.

  • The overpass creates another way to get to the southbound I-5 onramp, reducing the number of vehicles along Hewitt Avenue.

    You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097

    or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.

    Talk to us

    > Give us your news tips.

    > Send us a letter to the editor.

    > More Herald contact information.

  • More in Local News

    Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

    Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

    Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
    Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

    Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

    Pharmacist Nisha Mathew prepares a Pfizer COVID booster shot for a patient at Bartell Drugs on Broadway on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
    Everett lawmakers back universal health care bill, introduced in Olympia

    Proponents say providing health care for all is a “fundamental human right.” Opponents worry about the cost of implementing it.

    x
    Edmonds police shooting investigation includes possibility of gang violence

    The 18-year-old victim remains in critical condition as of Friday morning.

    Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Lake Stevens, Arlington school measures on Feb. 11 ballot

    A bond in Lake Stevens and a levy in Arlington would be used to build new schools.

    Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

    Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

    People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

    The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

    Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
    Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

    The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

    The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

    The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

    The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
    Northshore School District bond improvements underway

    The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

    Lake Stevens Sewer District wastewater treatment plant. (Lake Stevens Sewer District)
    Lake Stevens sewer district trial delayed until April

    The dispute began in 2021 and centers around when the city can take over the district.

    A salmon carcass lays across willow branches in Edgecomb Creek on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
    Tribes: State fish passage projects knock down barriers for local efforts

    Court-ordered projects have sparked collaboration for salmon habitat restoration

    Support local journalism

    If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.