City of Salem, Oregon, Planned Capital Spending Increased by 10%

Salem's 2025-2029 CIP details $491 million in planned capital projects, up 10% from the prior plan.

Rooftop view of a small city downtown at dusk, with a church spire and a domed building beyond tree-lined streets
Planned capital spending covers the streets, utilities and public buildings of a mid-sized city.

FirmoGraphs keeps its clients up to date on capital plans of interest for long-term business development. We help our customers use this information to gain a competitive advantage and improve proactive conversations with their clients. We recently processed the latest capital spending plan by the city of Salem, Oregon. Here are our observations.

How Much Is Salem Planning to Spend in Its 2025-2029 CIP?

In the CIP covering the 2025-2029 fiscal years, the city of Salem detailed plans to spend $491 million on capital projects, an increase of 10% from $445 million in its 2024-2028 CIP. The current CIP has 194 line items, compared to 217 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down Salem’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Salem's planned capital spending by business area, 2024-2028 CIP vs. 2025-2029 CIP (numbers are rounded).

Water Budget Up 81%; Airports Increase by $11M

Planned spending in the Water category increased by 81%, with funding for new projects, including the Bennett Dam Complex Improvements. There are also eight new projects in the Airports category, resulting in an $11 million increase.

Salem Allocates Almost $100 Million for Key Projects

Salem has three notable line items valued at over $20 million. The most significant line item is the Civic Center Seismic Improvements, valued at $38 million, under the Buildings category. The project involves the design and construction of seismic improvements to areas most vulnerable to a seismic event; hazardous materials abatement; atrium and skylight replacement; replacement of windows, roof, and generator; waterproofing and concrete repairs to the parking structure; and Peace Plaza renovations. The other two line items are listed below:

  • Bennett Dam Complex Improvements — valued at $35 million, under the Water category. The project aims to replace the timber-crib dams with an adjustable crest dam, securing the long-term water supply of the North Santiam River for the City and the Santiam Water Control District, as well as allowing for increased sediment transport and the conveyance of woody debris.
  • McGilchrist Street SE Corridor Improvements — valued at $24 million, under the Streets category. The project involves the design and construction of street improvements to arterial street standards, including new curbs, sidewalks, a multi-use path, stormwater treatment, and streetlights. It also includes new traffic signals at 12th St SE, 13th St SE, and 25th St SE, upgrades to two creek crossings, and rail crossing improvements.

How FirmoGraphs Can Help

FirmoGraphs curates data about U.S. public sector markets, including transportation improvement programs, regulatory developments, and other critical information. We help our customers use this information to gain a competitive advantage and improve proactive conversations with their clients. We’d be glad to meet with you and help your company sort through the wealth of information in improvement programs and other publicly available documents. Feel free to request a meeting and review the data live on our Business Intelligence platform.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Salem's planned capital spending increase in the 2025-2029 CIP?
Salem's planned capital spending increased 10%, from $445 million in the 2024-2028 CIP to $491 million in the 2025-2029 CIP.
What is Salem's largest single capital project?
The largest line item is the Civic Center Seismic Improvements, valued at $38 million under the Buildings category, covering seismic improvements, hazardous materials abatement, atrium and skylight replacement, window, roof, and generator replacement, waterproofing and concrete repairs, and Peace Plaza renovations.
Which category saw the biggest spending increase in Salem's new CIP?
The Water category saw the biggest increase at 81%, driven by new projects including the $35 million Bennett Dam Complex Improvements. The Airports category also added eight new projects for an $11 million increase.

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