From staff reports

Construction has begun for the “Evolve on Main,” a mixed-use development project for the area in downtown Pullman that used to house the Washington Federal Bank.

The project, formerly called the “Mix on Main,” consists of a five-story building with a shopping center on the lower floors and apartments above it.

The number of apartments originally in the plans will double from 41 to 82, Pullman City Planner Pete Dickinson said, including many four- and five-bedroom units.

The goal is to get more foot traffic in downtown Pullman, Marie Dymkoski, the director of Pullman Chamber of Commerce, told The Daily Evergreen in November.

The $19.2 million project is still expected to be complete by August 2018, Dickinson said. The budget accounts for the cost of the building, but does not include surrounding sidewalks or other projects involved with the construction, he said.

“The value of the construction cost is assessed through a formula that may or may not be the actual cost,” Dickinson said.

The Washington Federal Bank Pullman branch is the only confirmed business that will be going into the new building, he said.

“There’s a lot of speculation out there,” Dickinson said, “but nothing is certain.”