Main Street in downtown Bothell could be open within the next month after delays extended the road’s closure for more than five months.

While city officials did not have a firm opening date, they were optimistic the road would reopen by May following the street’s closure in segments beginning last fall. Improvements on the road include widening the sidewalks to allow businesses to use outside space in an effort to make the city more walkable.

The road was scheduled to be reopened last November but the project contractors were unable to find metal sleeves needed to cast concrete. Road, curb and sidewalk work could not begin until bollard foundations using the metal sleeves were completed. Underground utility work took longer than anticipated as well, with city staff saying this was partially due to the age of Main Street.

Work on Main Street is one of the final pieces of the city’s plan to revitalize the city’s downtown core. This included the purchase of 18 acres from the Northshore School District to be sold off to developers. All but one of these lots has been sold.

The city purchased additional lots downtown, including one designated Block D along State route 522 and Bothell Way N.E., which is contaminated by petroleum, as well as solvents from a former dry cleaning business on-site.

Bothell Senior Planner Dave Boyd said the city was close to getting authorization from the state to develop on the land as they work to clean the site.

“It’s been a bit of a long haul,” Boyd said.

The city’s revitalization plan was expected to use $150 million of public funding for infrastructure projects, with private investments exceeding this. City staff will be presenting an update to the City Council on the revitalization efforts in a June 12 study session.

Six lots are available for sale from the city, while many others are being developed by private companies.

These include the Mercantile Building and the former Bothell Mall along Main Street, which were destroyed in a fire during the summer of 2016. No cause for the fire was established, which started in the Mercantile Building construction site and spread to the historic Bothell Mall and damaged other businesses in the vicinity.

Two hotels are planned adjacent to Bothell’s City Hall, but as of March 21, city officials had not received permit applications from the Hotel 360 Group to actually build on the plots.

Finished projects include work on the multi-way project along Bothell Way N.E., widened roads and side-roads added to help ease congestion and promote walk-ability. Upgrades to State route 52 undertaken by the city has also been completed.

Cascadia College and UW Bothell worked with the city to finalize a new master plan and includes a long-term intent to build out on Beardslee Ave to improve the campus and amenities.

The nearby Village at Beardslee Crossing is wrapping up development on planned residential units.