NORTH BEND - Plans to construct a retail development in the city are gaining speed as contractors and the city pursue permits to establish a Home Depot on the waterfront.

Contractors will begin construction later this year as the Coquille Economic Development Corp., the business arm of the Coquille Indian Tribe, finalizes negotiations and plans with Home Depot.

On Tuesday night, the North Bend City Council helped move the project into the pipeline when members agreed to send an application to the Oregon Department of Transportation for a traffic signal and railway crossing that will serve the development. The Ko Kwel Wharf Project will be located north of The Mill Casino-Hotel and will include the warehouse-style store and nearly 41,000 square feet of retail development by the end of the first phase of construction.

According to a traffic signal engineering investigation, which was part of the formal request to ODOT, the traffic-calming device would sit at a four-leg intersection with U.S. Highway 101 on the north and south legs, a portion of Stanton Avenue on the west and a newly constructed street comprising the east portion of the intersection. The highway access will require a rail crossing.

Greg Aldridge, CEDCO executive director of development, said placing the signal will be a significant step toward making the wharf project a reality. Once completed, the entire development will be a 35- to 38-acre mixed retail development anchored on the north by Home Depot. It also includes plans to connect a bay front walkway to the city of North Bend's urban renewal project on Harbor Avenue and some open space areas. Later phases of the development will be determined by the demand of potential retailers. Aldridge expects contractors to break ground later this year, with the store opening about 10 months later, depending on weather and availability of building materials.

“A lot of different things have to be in place before dirt can move. It means that we can proceed towards 90 percent complete engineered drawings for that intersection,” Aldridge said, noting that after ODOT approves the traffic signal, final engineering construction documents, bidding and permitting need to be completed.

Because the location was once an industrial site, Aldridge said there might be a few environmental issues to overcome, but he thinks the property is clean.

In addition to providing the community with places to shop, dine and relax, Aldridge said the wharf project also will give locals an unfamiliar view of the waterfront.

“Because the property has about 100 years of industrial use, the public hasn't had access to any of this water front for a very long time,” Aldridge said. “We are trying to create a modern kind of lifestyle center that we hope will be attractive to local residents ... and we hope that it will also assist our community in being a coastal destination for tourists and travelers.”

While CEDCO and Home Depot still are negotiating over a lease for the store, which will be placed on a 9.8-acre parcel, Aldridge said he is confident in the company and its future in the area. Several other retailers were considered for the project, but the specialty store was the “best fit” for CEDCO, he said. The facility will hold 102,000 square feet along with a 28,000-square-foot nursery.

“They are definitely committed to being here and we're working to make that happen at this location,” Aldridge said, adding that Home Depot plans to share in much of the development costs including the traffic signal, new street, railroad crossing, curb gutters and utility lines.

North Bend Engineer Matt Whitty said the developer wanted to ease entrance into the proposed project and the four-way traffic signal and railway crossing are likely to do just that. Through a traffic impact study performed by JRH Transportation Engineering, the project's first phase could draw approximately 2,480 cars in an eight-hour period to new street. ODOT requires at least 1850 vehicles to use an access to make it worthy of a new light, Whitty explained.

“Without the signal you will have too much queuing on the highway getting into development,” Whitty said.

Brian Cannard, the real estate manager for Home Depot's northwest division, said another store is set to open in Roseburg in February

“We think we are definitely going to be a part of this area,” Cannard said, describing how the company will provide jobs to more than 155 local people and is spending about $15 million to build the store and site improvements ranging from to proposed signal to landscaping and lighting. He said it should be open eight to nine months after its ground-breaking, which is expected later this year.

While he does expect the store to bring more competition among similar retailers, Cannard said he doesn't believe it will put any out of business.

“When Home Depot comes to town, the consumer benefits, even if they choose not to shop at Home Depot.”