TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Krishna Namburi, City Manager
FROM: Brian D. Martin, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
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Summary of recent activity and progress on the 2022 voter-approved Salem Safety and Livability Bond measure.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Safe, Reliable and Efficient Infrastructure; Strong and Diverse Economy; Welcoming and Livable Community.
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SUMMARY:
summary
Since 2023, projects funded with the voter-approved 2022 Salem Safety and Livability Bond measure have been carried out under the oversight of the Bond Oversight Steering Committee to guide spending, timing, and prioritization decisions for the program. In 2025, progress continued in the categories of Streets and Sidewalks, Civic Center Seismic Retrofit, Park Upgrades, Technology and Cybersecurity, Affordable Housing, and Fire.
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ISSUE:
Information only.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Voters approved the 2022 Salem Safety and Livability Bond measure in November 2022, setting in motion a ten-year plan for $300 million in community infrastructure investment. A Bond Oversight Committee consisting of the Mayor, Councilors, and community members has been meeting monthly since February of 2023 to guide decision making and provide oversight and accountability for spending under the measure. A recent Bond Oversight Committee project update presentation with photos is included as Attachment 1.
2025 Accomplishments
Streets and Sidewalks. $157 million is programmed for transportation system improvements including upgrading existing streets, rehabilitating deteriorated pavement, adding bicycle facilities, adding and repairing sidewalks, strengthening bridges, and construction of a new street.
• Bridge Strengthening. Construction is complete for this project that reinforced four existing City bridges on Mill and Pringle Creeks. This allows for the removal of load rating restrictions for heavier vehicles and extends the life of the structures.
• Marine Drive. This project will construct a completely new street from Harritt Drive to 5th Avenue NW, along with a 12-foot-wide multi-use path connecting to Wallace Marine Park. An early phase of the project at Harritt Drive NW was completed this spring in conjunction with the Applegate Terrace housing project for veterans. Design is ongoing for the remainder of the street with construction planned to begin in 2028.
• McGilchrist Street. Construction of the second phase of this project began early in the year to upgrade McGilchrist Street SE from 22nd to 25th Street SE. This phase of the project replaces the existing street with a new three-lane section, 10-foot-wide multi-use paths on both sides, and a new traffic signal and left turn-lane at the intersection with 25th Street SE. The new street was reopened to two-way traffic in late October with traffic signal, stormwater, and concrete work continuing through the spring. The first phase of the project reconstructed the street and intersection at 22nd Street SE and the third phase will complete the improvement from 12th to 22th Street SE beginning in 2027.
• Liberty and Davis Road SE Traffic Signal. To help manage increasing traffic and pedestrian safety issues, funding was advanced from the Davis Road SE Street Improvement project to help complete installation of a new traffic signal at Davis Road SE and Liberty Road SE. Construction of the new signal will be completed this winter and a new mid-block pedestrian crossing south of the intersection is already operational. Design of the remainder of the project to upgrade Davis Road SE from Liberty Road SE to Skyline Road SE with new pavement, bike lanes and sidewalks will begin in 2028. Construction is planned for 2031-32.
• Silverton Road Improvements. With a combination of Urban Renewal, bond, grant, and utility funding, this project will reconfigure Silverton Road NE from 17th Street NE to Fisher Road NE. The work will provide bike lanes, rehabilitate the pavement, provide a new intersection and traffic signal at 17th Street NE, add sidewalks, and provide enhanced pedestrian crossings at multiple locations. Construction began this summer with rehabilitation of sanitary sewer mains and underground utility relocations. Construction will continue through the end of 2026.
Park Upgrades
• Multi-Use Athletic Court Replacement. Construction is complete on this multi-year project to replace athletic courts at five parks. At Hoover Park, Salem’s first public futsal court is now open for hard court soccer enthusiasts to enjoy. In addition, multi-use courts at Morningside and Highland Park have been resurfaced and striped for basketball, tennis, and pickleball. Last year, similar improvements were completed at River Road and Sumpter Parks.
• Livingston and Morningside Playground Replacement. These playgrounds have been renovated to provide upgraded and inviting spaces for their neighborhoods to enjoy. Improvements included new equipment, seating, access, and landscaping.
• Geer Park Improvements. Construction began this summer to reconstruct the soccer and baseball fields and create a new dog park. New artificial turf has been installed in the baseball infields to increase flexibility and availability of these facilities. Restoration of the natural grass outfields is also included. Soccer fields have been regraded with new drainage and irrigation. A new fenced dog park including shelters, benches and accessible pathways has also been constructed. The facilities have all been seeded and the official opening is expected next spring when grass has fully established.
Civic Center Seismic Retrofit. In preparation for renovation of the Civic Center, all City staff in the building relocated to other facilities during the first half of 2025. Concurrently, the design-build team for the project led by Howard S. Wright Construction, Hacker Architects, CBTwo Architects, and KPFF Structural Engineers completed design and developed a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for construction. The GMP sets the scope and budget for improvements to provide seismic stability for the structure while replacing end-of-life building systems, adding fire sprinklers, and modernizing interior spaces for flexibility and efficiency. Construction began in July to abate hazardous materials and conduct demolition. Recently, work began on foundations for stabilizing shear walls that will reinforce the existing structure to resist earthquake forces. Construction is expected to continue through early 2027.
Work in Progress. Preparation is underway for more projects in 2026 and beyond.
• Pavement Rehabilitation and Replacement. Design is complete for the 2026 repaving of Commercial Street SE from the 12th Street Cutoff to Boone Road SE, and Doaks Ferry Road NW from Brush College to Emerald Drive NW. Design is underway for 2027-28 paving of Portland Road NE from Beach to Northgate Avenue NE, and Madrona Avenue SE from Commercial Street SE to Peck Avenue SE.
• Union Street Bikeway. Design to add bicycle lanes and modify intersections on Union Street NE from Summer Street SE to 12th Street SE continues. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.
• Sidewalk Infill and Replacement. The bond includes $12.7 million for the general categories of sidewalk infill and replacement. For sidewalk infill projects, a public outreach effort has been conducted to gather feedback on the top-ranked projects according to previously developed prioritization criteria developed by the Bond Oversight Committee and approved by Council. The final list of projects has been approved by Council and is advancing through design for 2027 construction. The list of sidewalk replacement projects for public feedback and eventual Council approval will be developed in 2026.
• Pringle Creek Path. Design is underway for this off-street pedestrian and bicycle connection from Commercial Street to Riverfront Park. Construction is planned to begin in 2028.
• State Street Improvements. Design is ongoing for this project to resurface the roadway, create bicycle lanes, modify traffic signals and intersections, and replace a water main from 13th Street NE to 17th Street NE. The first open house to gather public input for the design is scheduled for December 10. Construction is planned to begin in 2028.
• Fisher Road Improvements. This project upgrades Fisher Road NE to provide new pavement, bicycle lanes, curbs, and sidewalks from Silverton Road NE to the curves north of Market Street NE. Design is underway with the first open house and public input is planned in early spring 2026. Construction is planned to begin in 2028.
• McKay Park Improvements. Design is ongoing for the 2026 construction of new restrooms, soccer field renovations, and a new park shelter.
• Riverfront Park Playground. Bond and grant funds will replace the existing playground with new nature-inspired play areas and improved access in 2026.
• Technology and Cybersecurity. Workday has been selected as the City’s new cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, replacing the legacy Oracle platform and modernizing the way we deliver services. As a best-in-class ERP solution used by leading organizations nationwide, Workday offers an intuitive, integrated, and highly secure environment designed to streamline operations and improve employee experience. The new system will eliminate paper-based processes, reduce redundancies, and provide real-time data to support smarter decision-making. Our goal is to enable employees to work easier and smarter - not harder - by equipping them with tools that are efficient, user-friendly, and built for the future. Implementation began earlier this year with system testing currently underway. Training and “go live” with the new Workday platform are planned for this spring.
• Affordable Housing. $400,000 was approved in the City budget to provide pedestrian crossing improvements at D Street NE to support the Gussie Belle Commons affordable housing project. Design will get underway in 2026.
• Fire Stations. Work to acquire sites for Stations 8 and 12 continues. Once a Station 8 site is acquired, design of a new station to replace existing Station 8 will begin immediately.
Local Contracting Update. The Bond Oversight Committee receives regular updates on local vendor participation in bond-funded projects. As of September 2025, 70-percent of contracts by dollar amount have been awarded to vendors from Marion and Polk counties. Outreach to the contracting community continues each year to make local contractors aware of upcoming bidding opportunities (bond-funded and otherwise).
BACKGROUND:
To maintain a level tax levy rate for City bonded funds, the $300 million approved for this bond measure is expected to be issued in three approximately equal installments about once every three years. The first $100 million bond sale was issued in February 2022. The second bond sale is planned to occur in the spring of 2026.
Allen Dannen, PE,
City Engineer
Attachments:
1. Capital Improvement Projects Update Presentation slides from Bond Oversight Steering Committee meeting on November 21, 2025