Station tenant possible (10/17/06)

A historic downtown Portland building which has been unoccupied for several years may soon have a tenant.

A city official announced Monday night that a former Jay County resident is interested in leasing - and possibly purchasing - the former Portland fire station for a restaurant and banquet facility.

An offer to lease the building has been made but it cannot go into effect until the public has the opportunity to submit bids.

Glori L. James-Suarez, who currently resides in California and works for a communications company, has made an offer to lease the building for two years, city attorney Bill Hinkle told members of the Portland City Council. James-Suarez wants to lease the building for $551.46 per month. After the lease ends, she would like to have the option to purchase the building, he said. The lease payments would be applied toward the purchase price.

James-Suarez has offered to pay $98,750 for the building, which is the average of the two appraisals done on the North Commerce Street structure in 2003.

She has also purchased a house in Jay County, Hinkle said.

Council members voted Monday to give preliminary approval of the lease agreement and authorize the advertising of bids to purchase the building. The agreement cannot be finalized until the public is given the opportunity to submit bids. Hinkle told council members they could wait to make a decision.

"That building has set there for too long," council president Glen Bryant said before making the motion. The former fire station has been unoccupied since the new fire station on North Franklin Street was completed in 2003.

Anyone interesting in a lease-purchase agreement for the structure will have a deadline for making an offer, Hinkle said. Hinkle does not know how long bids will be accepted. If council members choose to do so as part of the sale and lease, they can place restrictions on modifications and alterations to the property to protect the building's historical integrity.

The 4,600-square foot building, which served as a fire station for more than 70 years, was built in 1929. It is within the downtown commercial district, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. It currently is used to store the city's Christmas decorations and some equipment.

Also Monday, council members:

•Heard Bob Quadrozzi, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, explain a letter from Premier Ethanol LLC.

The letter states that if Premier is awarded a $150,000 grant through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the funds would be used for infrastructure for the ethanol plant planned southwest of Portland. Infrastructure would include the installation of water and sewer lines and construction of drives, Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, said after the meeting.

The letter also states that the city would agree not to annex the land needed for the project for 10 years.

Council member Dolphus Stephens asked Quadrozzi if the company is asking for the land to not be annexed because Premier officials want to a tax increment financing (TIF) district formed to fund plant infrastructure.

Quadrozzi said Premier officials asked for the delayed annexation because the county has a lower tax rate than the city. Council members took no action on the conditions.

Hosier said this morning council members will likely take action on the proposals made in the letter at the next council meeting, which is set for Nov. 6.

•Set trick-or-treating in Portland for Oct. 31, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Bryant suggested these hours so they would coincide with the trick-or-treating set to be held in downtown Portland. Local merchants will be handing out candy between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Halloween.

•Heard Hosier announce the progress of two projects in the city.

Hosier said he met with Indiana Department of Transportation and Wal-Mart officials more than a week ago about the progress of the construction project on West Votaw Street. He said the project, which is creating passing shoulders, is still moving forward.

After the meeting, Hosier said he has been told that the work will be completed by the first week of November. Immediately after that, INDOT officials are expected to do a traffic study to determine if a stop light is needed at the intersection of Votaw Street and Industrial Park Drive.

Hosier also said that the only work left to do on the Gerber gravity sewer project is to do the final inspection and finish some landscaping.

Construction of this project - designed to ease the burden on the north lift station along Industrial Park Drive - was completed about two weeks ago, he said. Park Street is expected to be re-paved in the spring of 2007, Hosier said.

•Voted to use $1,293 of the city's economic development income tax funds to pay attorney fees for the Portland Economic Development Corporation.

Linda Kennedy, the city's clerk-treasurer, said the fees will be paid to law firm Coldren and Frantz, Portland, for work on the lawsuit filed in April against the PEDC by Hoosier Excavating, Redkey.

The contractor also is suing the developer of XPLEX Extreme Competition Park, Glynn Barber. The suit contends that in March of 2005 XPLEX entered into an oral contract with Hoosier Excavating to do earthwork for the project, and the construction company has not been paid in full for work completed.

The PEDC owns some of the land on which the park has been developed, and has a lease agreement with XPLEX.

•Voted to amend part of the city's payroll ordinance.

Kennedy said the ordinance currently states that city employees can use all of their sick and personal at one time. This was inadvertently added and needs to be removed, she said.

The ordinance needs to be amended to prevent city employees from using sick days when they are not sick, she said.

•Approved a request to close a portion of a street located behind a Portland church for an event.

Judy Smith, a member of First Church of the Nazarene, 920 S. Shank St., asked for the portion of Bridge Street located behind the church to be closed Oct. 21, between noon and 4 p.m. Church members would like to hold a Block Party on the street.

•Commended members of the Portland fire and police departments, and other city departments for their efforts during the fire at Patriot Paint Company Wednesday.

The fire at the factory located on South Middle Street injured one employee and required the evacuation of residents who live near the plant.

•Watched a short video highlighting the Community Resource Center, Portland, for which the city and Jay County earned an award from the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.

The center, which opened in May 2005, houses Jay County Development Corporation, Jay County Community Development, Jay/Portland Building and Planning, Portland Area Chamber of Commerce and Jay County Visitor and Tourism Bureau.

Hosier said he was honored to accept the award on behalf of the city.[[In-content Ad]]