South Park fetes bridge groundbreaking, Cinco de Mayo

People who live, work and operate businesses in Seattle's South Park neighborhood reveled in Thursday's groundbreaking for the replacement bridge that will reconnect them to the city.

Yet behind all their pleasure and gratitude, there's concern — particularly among some businesses along the commercial corridor — about whether they can survive the two years it will take for the new bridge to be completed.

A who's who of political leaders from all levels of government — federal, state, county, cities, the Port of Seattle, and representatives of Boeing — took part in Thursday's event, which combined Cinco de Mayo celebrations with the official launch of pre-construction work on the new span.

As if on cue to prove the point, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn's arrival was delayed by a backup on the First Avenue Bridge — one of the few remaining points of access into the neighborhood.

Last June, King County closed the 79-year-old span because of severe deterioration and failure of government agencies to prioritize money for a replacement.

At the time, some 20,000 vehicles a day crossed the bridge, Its closing left the neighborhood dazed — the hardship felt by those who live and work there and by businesses that depended on the traffic to survive.

King County Executive Dow Constantine reminded residents of his pledge a year ago when the closing was announced to do all he could to secure funding needed to replace it.

On Thursday, he praised the stubborn dedication of South Park residents and others who kept his feet to the fire and "wouldn't let me forget that promise."

"Leaving this community without a bridge was just not acceptable," Constantine said.

About 100 people will find direct employment on the project once construction begins this summer.

The main attraction of Thursday's groundbreaking was a 26-foot-long, 7-foot-tall piñata, a miniature model of the new bridge. Ropes attached to five trap doors on the wooden contraption were pulled to release mountains of treats.

Jose Vasquez, president of Video Mar, which operates a cybercafe and provides computer services in South Park, recalls being a 7-year-old riding his bike on neighborhood streets.

The bridge closing made him worry about his business, he said, but it also gave him and others new energy.

"With this new bridge, we are creating a new vision for South Park," he said.

Bill Owens, owner of D.O.G. Dogs Outdoor Gear, a pet-supply business, said that despite all that's been done for the neighborhood, more could still be done to help businesses survive the next two years. For example, proper signage along the freeway would not only help people find their way to South Park but let them know there's gasoline and food available there.

"Don't get me wrong, we are grateful to them for being able to pull the funds together and moving to get this done as fast as they can," said Owens, who lives in the neighborhood.

"But we've already lost one business as a direct result of the bridge. I'm not sure we can survive."

Construction of the new bridge was ensured last October when Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, announced that King County would receive $34 million in federal TIGER II stimulus money, adding to funds that had been committed by a variety of local sources to finance the bridge replacement.

The bid for replacing the bridge came in lower than engineers' estimates. A joint venture of Omaha-based Kiewit Construction and Kansas City's Massman Construction bid $96.1 million, $11 million under the estimate.

In all, the project is expected to cost $167 million, which includes design of the new bridge and demolition of the old one. Of that amount, $80 million will come from the federal government and $87 million from local sources, including the city of Seattle.

Lornet Turnbull: 206-464-2420 or lturnbull@seattletimes.com