No to grant adds

A local board has declined to allow additions to grant requests for projects in downtown Portland.

In the Portland Downtown Façade Funding Committee's meeting Monday evening, Brian Rippey asked for additional grant funds to allow him to replace shutters on his buildings.

He originally had asked for funds for the replacement of windows and doors at 113 and 115 N. Meridian St.

Rippey asked for $245 in matching grant funds for shutters on the two connected buildings.

He said he decided to ask for more funding because he thought the new shutters would look nice, and he knew the grant committee had more money to work with since a recent request for additional funding from the Portland Redevelopment Commission was approved.

The commission members voted to grant up to $20,000 in additional funding for the façade funding committee, after the nine projects for which grant funds were requested came in higher than the allotted $50,000.

The additional funds also will allow the committee to give more than $10,000 each for three major façade improvement projects.

Rippey said he didn't have the shutters in his original application because the idea hadn't crossed his mind, and he didn't want to ask for something he didn't absolutely need.

Committee members agreed that Rippey's request for shutters would have to be approved by the Portland Historic Preservation Commission before the grant committee could review it.

Committee members did not vote on Rippey's request for additional funding, but did vote to prohibit additional funding requests after Certificates of Appropriateness are approved by the historic preservation commission.

In a related matter, committee members voted to award matching grant funds for Rippey to replace windows and doors on his two buildings for a total of $2,590 in grant funds.

Also awarded grant funds is Mike Wangler of Tire Center, 113 E. Race St., for a new roof for the warehouse of his business. A total of $3,150 in grant funds was awarded for this project.

Also Monday, committee members voted to divide up the remaining $14,406.37 in grant funds among three projects. The funds will be dispersed based on the total costs of the projects.

The most costly project is improvements to the Fraternal Order of the Eagles building at 320 N. Meridian St., which is expected to cost about $35,000. The funds also will be awarded for the Tire Center, 421 N. Meridian St., with a project cost of $33,925.08 and Inman Insurance, 305 N. Meridian St., $30,170. The city will grant a 50 percent match for these projects.

The Eagles building will receive new paint and the balcony will be replaced. The facades at Inman Insurance and the Tire Center will be completely redone.

In other business, audience member Milo Miller Jr., who is a member of the historic preservation commission, asked what would happen if the property owners requesting grant funds never completed their projects.

Bruce Hosier, a committee member and the city's mayor, said the property owners must sign a contract with the city for the grants. He said there is some sort of penalty for those who don't complete their projects.

Christy Corle, also a member of the historic commission, said the projects must be completed by six months after the contract is signed.[[In-content Ad]]