July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Intial Weiler costs $1 million (3/1/05)
Study shared with Jay Commissioners
By By Mike Snyder-
The first steps in turning a downtown Portland eyesore into a local learning center are expected to cost right at $1 million.
Results of a feasibility study on the Weiler Building, including taking necessary steps to stabilize the building, renovate the exterior and remove multiple hazards from the interior, were shared Monday with Jay County Commissioners.
And those costs, which will basically leave the John Jay Center for Learning with an rehabilitated shell of a building, are estimated at $1.053 million.
The county served as the applicant for a $50,000 grant to complete the study by Martin Riley Mock Architects/Engineers of Fort Wayne, although the city of Portland agreed to provide the 10 percent match on the project.
Wayne Bailey, who is currently working on an application for a $500,000 construction grant on the project, said this morning the completion of the feasibility study is “a step in the right direction, for sure.
“This project meets every parameter that’s in vogue right now. It looks at helping people with low-to-moderate incomes, helping with education ... blight, historic preservation and ... it looks at the economy, not only locally, but regionally,” Bailey said. “This project is as good a project as I’ve seen come down the road in a long time. It should be fundable.”
Some of the major costs and issues covered in the study reviewed Monday are replacement of the roof and all exterior windows, repair of exterior brick and masonry work, and a thorough cleaning of the interior of pigeon droppings and mold. That last item alone is expected to cost more than $130,000.
Bailey said he is excited about the impact that the ongoing attempt to renovate the Weiler Building is having — and will have — on downtown Portland.
Citing several new shops and businesses within sight of the Weiler Building at the southwest corner of Main and Meridian streets, Bailey said “as this building progresses ... I think you’re going to see more and more of those type of happenings.”
The deadline for submitting the application for the Community Focus Grant to the Indiana Department of Commerce is April 1. Announcements on this round of grants should be made by early June.
Several years ago, an anonymous donor gave $1 million to The Portland Foundation to be used for the establishment of a learning center in downtown Portland. Half of the gift was to be used for an endowment to fund operational costs.
The Weiler Building, which has been abandoned since the closing of a furniture store several years ago, was acquired by the John Jay Center for Learning in 2004.
Also Monday, Commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Faron Parr and Gary Theurer appointed rural Bryant resident Dwain Michael as an alternate member of the upper Wabash River Basin Commission. The group, which includes members from Jay, Adams, Wells and Huntington counties, is focused on a regional approach to issues connected to the river — including flooding.
Monday morning, the commissioners signed paperwork that will allow the county’s emergency management agency to equip volunteers for emergency first aid and search and rescue.
The state grant of $7,238.27 will help equip a Community Emergency Response Team. Ralph Frazee, director of Jay County EMA, said that four local residents have been trained and will serve as instructors for volunteers.[[In-content Ad]]
Results of a feasibility study on the Weiler Building, including taking necessary steps to stabilize the building, renovate the exterior and remove multiple hazards from the interior, were shared Monday with Jay County Commissioners.
And those costs, which will basically leave the John Jay Center for Learning with an rehabilitated shell of a building, are estimated at $1.053 million.
The county served as the applicant for a $50,000 grant to complete the study by Martin Riley Mock Architects/Engineers of Fort Wayne, although the city of Portland agreed to provide the 10 percent match on the project.
Wayne Bailey, who is currently working on an application for a $500,000 construction grant on the project, said this morning the completion of the feasibility study is “a step in the right direction, for sure.
“This project meets every parameter that’s in vogue right now. It looks at helping people with low-to-moderate incomes, helping with education ... blight, historic preservation and ... it looks at the economy, not only locally, but regionally,” Bailey said. “This project is as good a project as I’ve seen come down the road in a long time. It should be fundable.”
Some of the major costs and issues covered in the study reviewed Monday are replacement of the roof and all exterior windows, repair of exterior brick and masonry work, and a thorough cleaning of the interior of pigeon droppings and mold. That last item alone is expected to cost more than $130,000.
Bailey said he is excited about the impact that the ongoing attempt to renovate the Weiler Building is having — and will have — on downtown Portland.
Citing several new shops and businesses within sight of the Weiler Building at the southwest corner of Main and Meridian streets, Bailey said “as this building progresses ... I think you’re going to see more and more of those type of happenings.”
The deadline for submitting the application for the Community Focus Grant to the Indiana Department of Commerce is April 1. Announcements on this round of grants should be made by early June.
Several years ago, an anonymous donor gave $1 million to The Portland Foundation to be used for the establishment of a learning center in downtown Portland. Half of the gift was to be used for an endowment to fund operational costs.
The Weiler Building, which has been abandoned since the closing of a furniture store several years ago, was acquired by the John Jay Center for Learning in 2004.
Also Monday, Commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Faron Parr and Gary Theurer appointed rural Bryant resident Dwain Michael as an alternate member of the upper Wabash River Basin Commission. The group, which includes members from Jay, Adams, Wells and Huntington counties, is focused on a regional approach to issues connected to the river — including flooding.
Monday morning, the commissioners signed paperwork that will allow the county’s emergency management agency to equip volunteers for emergency first aid and search and rescue.
The state grant of $7,238.27 will help equip a Community Emergency Response Team. Ralph Frazee, director of Jay County EMA, said that four local residents have been trained and will serve as instructors for volunteers.[[In-content Ad]]
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