The Black Diamond City Council is laying out what various improvements it hopes to make around the city next year and beyond.
The ritual of updating the city’s Capital Improvement Plan normally begins around this time every year with public hearings, and the plan is usually approved by January. However, Black Diamond hasn’t updated its CIP since 2022
The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is not a binding document, but a six-year outlook on what projects it wants to tackle and how those projects are likely to be funded. Cost and construction date estimates are always changing, depending often on funding from other sources becoming available.
A public hearing on the CIP was held on Nov. 6, and the council is expected to take action on the draft plan soon.
Here are some of the projects the city is looking to tackle in the next six years.
ROBERTS DRIVE RECONSTRUCTION
One of the most expensive item street project on the list — excluding ones that are funded and will be completed by the Ten Trails developer Oakpointe — is the first phase of the Roberts Drive reconstruction.
Coming in with a $3.5 million price tag, the city hopes to get an asphalt overlay between city hall and Ginder Creek and extending the existing sidewalk from the Black Diamond library to Ginder creek. Pedestrian lighting and stormwater improvements would also be installed.
Whether or not the city can tackle this project next year as hoped is the ability for the city to get nearly $3 million in grants while the city puts up $520,000 in real estate excise taxes; grant funding has not been secured at this time.
Once Phase 1 is complete, the city aims to get to Phase 2 in 2029.
Phase 2 consists of another asphalt overlay from Ginder Creek to state Route 169, and extend the existing sidewalk to also connect with the new roundabout on the highway.
Again, grant funds are crucial to this $3.1 million project; the city plans to put in $468,000 in real estate excise taxes, and is looking for $2,652,000 from other sources, which has not yet been secured.
COVINGTON CREEK BRIDGE
Perhaps a more interesting project is the construction of a new Covington Creek bridge.
This project has been long in the making, as funding was secured in 2021. Construction was originally scheduled to begin in 2022, but work was stalled, so the city is hoping to get back on the ball next year.
The bridge is currently on top of three failing culverts, impeding migrating fish.
The new bridge would allow for free water flow underneath.
Before construction is to begin, Black Diamond is exploring options to create a temporary structure allowing emergency access across the cree until work on the bridge is complete.
The King County Flood Control District provided more than $2 million for this project, which covers the mast majority of the cost; the city plans on using $109,000 from its beginning fund balance that was carried over from 2025 to 2026.
DOWNTOWN PEDESTRIAN BYPASS
Now we’re looking into the future.
The city is looking into how to create “new shared use pedestrian pathways from the south to north end of the Black Diamond downtown area,” the CIP reads.
However, this would only be for the design and engineering of the project, and not construction.
Starting on the south end, the pathway would start where Jones Lake Road meets SR 169 as a bike-only path.
It would then merge with a 10-foot wide shared path starting on Railroad Avenue before becoming an on-street greenway at 1st Avenue and Baker Street, continuing north and leaving the streets until it hits the Ginder Creek site.
There, it one again becomes a shared path at that intersection, going north along Railroad Avenue and SR 169 until it ends at the roundabout at Roberts Drive.
Total costs are estimates at $8.8 million.
GINDER CREEK TRAIL AND SITE RESTORATION
Now we’re getting into the parks projects.
The Ginder Creek restoration project is related to the Downtown Pedestrian Bypass proposal, as the bypass skirts the east border of the Ginder Creek green site.
It’s not the prettiest of green space at the moment, though.
“This area has historically been used for agricultural activities, but has since remained fallow, with the proliferation of invasive Reed Canary Grass, Evergreen Blackberry, and Scotch Broom,” the CIP reads
Using King County Parks Levy and Washington State Recreations, Conservation Office funds, and real estate excise taxes for a total of $2 million, the city hopes to restore the green area and build a trail from Roberts Drive to 2nd Avenue by 2027.
BOAT LAUNCH UPDATES
This isn’t exactly an expensive or flashy project, but local boaters sure will enjoy it.
According to the city, larger water drops in Lake Sawyer during the summer months have prevented people from using the current boat launch, as it does not extend far enough into the lake.
Thus, Black Diamond wants to extend the boat launch by 2028, which could cost about $250,000.
While funding must be secured, the project will also need to be signed off by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, which could complicate the hoped-for timeline.
COAL CAR PARK
Do you miss the coal cart as you exit the north end of Black Diamond?
The new roundabout required the removal of the cart, but the city hopes to restore it as a “passive” recreation park to the northwest of the new traffic structure.
This is, luckily for the city, a project that will be paid for by Oakpointe to the tune of $250,000.
The CIP estimates the project to be finished next year.
CITY HALL
In an effort to consolidate city services, Black Diamond is looking to build a new city hall to house administration, police, finance, community development, and public works — not to mention the city council.
The building, which could cost around $4 million, could be a multi-year project, starting by buying land next year, designing and permitting until 2028, and finally, construction in 2029 and 2030.
