Grant work downtown is extended

Extensions have been approved for three projects partially funded through Portland’s Downtown Façade Funding grant program.
The availability of special materials needed and winter weather are among the reasons for the deadlines for the completion of the projects to be pushed back.
The Downtown Façade Funding Committee met Monday and voted to grant extensions for the following projects: Inman Insurance, 305 N. Meridian St.; Kessler’s Sports Shop, 216 N. Meridian St.; and Tire Center, 421 N. Meridian St.
The owners of these properties signed contracts for their projects on June 28. They were given six months to have the work completed.
The projects were awarded matching grant funds. The city’s portion came from tax increment financing (TIF) funds and Portland Economic Development Income Tax funds.
On Monday, Jason Minnich, a local contractor, asked for extensions on both the Inman Insurance and Portland Tire Center projects.
He said he currently is waiting on yellow, decorative ceramic brick to come in for the tire center. He expects to receive the brick in February. The brick will be placed around the doors and is being made in Texas.
Also he asked for an extension for Inman Insurance because he needs to apply a mortar to the building that must be done at least 6 months before a frost. He plans to do this work in the spring. He asked for the contracts for both projects to be extended to May 24 — a request that was granted.
Sandy Bubp asked for an extension on Kessler’s Sports Shop because she has not yet installed a new awning. She said she changed the size of the awning and thought she would have to get the change approved by the Portland Historic Preservation Commission.
However, committee member Christy Corle, who also is a member of the historic preservation commission, said Monday that the dimension changes would not have to be approved by the commission.
Bubp said she planned to order the new awning, but didn’t know how long it would take to arrive. She asked for this project’s deadline to be extended, and committee members voted to extend the contract to Feb. 15.
In a related matter, committee members also voted to reduce the grant amounts for two projects.
Bubp asked for an amendment on the sports shop project. Because she changed the dimensions for the awning, the cost decreased. She asked for the grant amount to be reduced to $4,033.55 from $4,958.25.
Also, a window and roof replacement project for a building at 120 N. Commerce St., which is owned by Todd Penrod and Mitch Sutton, came in less expensive than expected. Kristi Sturtz of Sturtz Public Management Group, said the contractor lowered the price of the project. Committee members voted to reduce the grant amount to $16,750 from $21,195.
Sturtz said the roof has been replaced and the windows are expected to be installed by the Dec. 28 deadline.
See Grant page 5
Continued from page 1
She also updated the committee on the status of the other projects awarded grant funds.
She said the balcony replacement at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles building, 320 N. Meridian St., has just been awarded a design release from the state. The project is ready for bidding, she said.
After the meeting, Sturtz said the deadline for this project is Feb. 6, because the contract was signed later than the contracts for the rest of the projects. She said she expects this project will require an extension.
Sturtz also said Monday that work at White Linen Hall, 121 N. Meridian St., has been completed.
In other business Monday, committee members voted to get the ball rolling on the 2011 grant program.
They voted to make a few changes to the program and to set a deadline of Jan. 31 for letters of intent to be submitted — even though funding for the 2011 grant program has not yet been secured.
Committee members questioned whether they should wait until funding is secured to ask for letters of interest.
Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier, also a committee member, said, “We would anticipate the same (funding) options as the previous year” will be available.
Money for the grants is provided by property taxes generated through a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. The Portland Redevelopment Commission controls those funds.
Previously, property owners interested in the matching grant program submitted applications for the program. Sturtz said that if interested property owners submitted letters of interest, the city could work with them to complete thorough applications.
Committee members also voted to increase the matching amount for any single grant to $15,000 from $10,000, and to cap the total amount of funds awarded at $50,000. The $50,000 cap was in place for this year’s grants, but was increased to $67,409.63 when several large project grants were awarded.
Information about the grant program will be sent to downtown property owners by the end of the year.[[In-content Ad]]