The Dirt: Transportation relocating traffic management services

The Washington state Department of Transportation is planning a $1.4 million project to relocate traffic management services to its eastern region headquarters, according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

Though the project is in early phases of planning, Glenn Wagemann, traffic engineer and manager of the region’s Transportation Management Center, said he is determined to see the effort to its completion.

“We are not merely exploring the feasibility of the project,” Wagemann said. “We’ve been at the same location for over 20 years; space is limited and we’re trying to get WashDOT functions onto WashDot property.”

The Traffic Management Center is leasing space at the Spokane Intermodal Center, at 221 W. First Ave., Wagemann said.

The move will allow operations to expand and for its employees to better monitor the transportation network of Eastern Washington, he said.

The department has six Traffic Centers located across the state, but the Spokane operation is unique. In addition to monitoring live-streaming roadway cameras, its 10 employees communicate with law enforcement and emergency services during incidents across numerous jurisdictions.

“The other five centers monitor just the state highways,” he said. “We not only monitor state highways, but City of Spokane roadways, Spokane Valley roads, county roads and we also work with (Spokane Transit Authority) – we are working from a more holistic standpoint.”

The operation’s new location, at 2802 N. Mayfair St., is a vacant shell and was previously a storage and maintenance shop for department-owned equipment, Wagemann said.

Amy Browne-Minden, at Design West Architects, based in Meridian, Idaho, is designing the project.

“Turning a garage into a state-of-the-art Traffic Management Center is not as drastic as it sounds,” she said. “It’ll be an interesting project, but the building has stand alone HVAC, it has power, it’s fully insulated and easily outfitted.”

Additional work to the structure will be to enclose its garage doors partly with windows, outfitting a monitoring wall full of screens associated with traffic cameras, building a space for servers and data storage, and also making it comfortable for employees who spend a lot of time watching the screens, Browne-Minden said.

The design for the building is almost complete, she said.

“We are working with the city of Spokane on plan review, which is about a two-month process,” she said. “It should be ready to go out for bid around April or May.

“Construction will go throughout the summer and fall and the building should be ready to be moved into in December.”

Ruby River Hotel pool

Visible from the Centennial Trail, the Ruby River Hotel may soon have an infinity edge pool just in time for winter, according to Dan Zimmerer, president of Ruby Hospitality’s hotel division.

“The pool will be designed to be heated to high temperatures in the colder months, which will allow us to host events and all kinds of different things,” Zimmerer said.

An infinity edge pool is one over which water flows to give the appearance of the water extending to the horizon. The project would replace an aging swimming pool at the location at 702 N. Division St., Zimmerer said.

“We are removing the current pool and putting in the edge pool, a hot tub and deck space,” he said.

The effort is meant to bring more novelty to the hotel, making it more of a destination for visitors, according to Zimmerer.

“We are always trying to make our amenity package more attractive,” he said. “We already have one incredible pool, located closer to Division Street, this is a good way to update our outdoor spaces, making them incredibly attractive.”

The older swimming pool is surrounded by playground equipment and a courtyard that was updated a few years ago, he said.

The infinity edge pool will be the final touch to an new guest experience, he said.

“From inside the pool, it’s going to look like the waterfall spills right into the Spokane River,” he said.

Additional landscaping and pool equipment will also be improved as part of the project, he said.

“From the Centennial Trail, you’re going to see the waterfall edge and its beautiful presentation,” he said. “The setting we have is unmatched. Now with what is essentially a giant hot tub oasis, the project will be a great selling factor.”

The project is estimated to cost about $700,000, according to a permit application submitted to the city of Spokane.

Spokane-based Mauer Construction is contracted to build the project and Bernardo Wills, a Spokane-based firm, designed it.