Leaders present 2040

Several community leaders gave updates about more than 50 projects for Pullman 2040 during its annual meeting on Tuesday night.

Members of Pullman 2040, a Pullman Chamber of Commerce initiative to complete community projects, produced an annual report tracking its progress.

The projects are grouped into categories, such as community identity, education, recreation and environment.

The Pullman 2040 annual report also includes project partners, strategies and actions taken.

Projects ranged from the building of a recreation center in Pullman to developing a trail that connects Colfax, Albion and Pullman.

Kurt Dahmen, Pullman recreation manager, said the recreation center will be housed in the former Encounter Ministries building, 100 block of Southeast Crestview Street. The project is 25 years in the making.

He said the recreation center will include a basketball court, dance room and space for an after-school program.

The center will also have room for the senior center to move to, Dahmen said.

“We’re excited to get them into our same space,” he said. “They’re located in City Hall and there’s not a lot of room for growth.”

The center is about two months away from completion, Dahmen said.

Pullman Civic Trust, a Pullman 2040 member, also has a project in the works.

Bobbie Ryder, Pullman Civic Trust president, said the Colfax-Albion-Pullman Trail (CAP Trail) would be 19 miles long and provide a way for people to travel by foot or bike between these cities.

The goal is to railbank the trail, which is currently owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation, she said. Railbanking is an agreement to allow the use of an out-of-service railroad as a trail.

“The government thinks these trails are dangerous, but they’re owned by taxpayer dollars,” Ryder said.

The Pullman Civic Trust provided a table, paper and pens for attendees of the meeting to write letters to the Washington state legislature to allow railbanking of the CAP Trail.

Pullman 2040 also helped form the Pullman Young Professionals.

Kyle O’ Malley, Pullman Young Professionals member, said the group formed in 2018 to bring Pullman business owners and professionals together. They meet every month and host events such as a whiskey tasting.

“We’re looking for career-oriented people that happen to feel young,” he said.

Pullman 2040 began about four years ago. The group collected survey responses to list out the projects Pullman residents wanted to see.

Leaders in Pullman 2040 are looking for survey responses to a follow-up survey to see what else the community wants on the group’s list, said Francis Benjamin, Pullman Chamber of Commerce co-chair.

“We are applauding all of the heavy work that people have done over the years,” he said. “There’s still so much more to do.”