Rules for new district get OK

Plans are moving forward with an effort to spur business growth in Portland’s downtown area.

Portland Redevelopment Commission on Friday voted to seek city council approval for the establishment of a “riverfront” district.

The commission has been discussing the possibility of a riverfront district — an area within 1,500 feet (about a quarter-mile) of a river in which communities can provide additional liquor licenses, at a lower cost, beyond the standard cap in order to spur restaurant development — for most of 2021. On Friday they approved their guidelines, which allow for up to five liquor licenses for businesses that would be required to sell at least $150,000 in food annually and have more than 50% of their sales be food. Eligible businesses would have to be open for at least 300 days each year.

The cost of the application is $250, and the licenses are not transferable.

The proposed district would cover Meridian Street from Water Street to about Arch Street and also extend west along Walnut Street to just past commerce Street and Main Street to between Ship and Main Streets.

Redevelopment commission members Rusty Inman, Dave Teeter, Mike Simons, Joe Johnston and Reda Theurer-Miller voted unanimously in favor of the riverfront district guidelines.

The process now moves to Portland City Council, which would have to vote to establish the riverfront district. It would then also require state approval.

Consultant Ed Curtin of CWC Latitudes also updated the commission on the process toward creating a residential tax increment financing (TIF) district, which would capture the increased taxes on new housing. The commission can then use the funds to incentivize developers by defraying the cost of infrastructure or other elements of a housing project.

Curtin said he, Inman and Portland Mayor John Boggs met with Jay School Corporation officials to discuss the residential TIF, the formation of which would require school board approval. He said the meeting went well and that school officials asked for details about what the financial impact would be to the corporation. The redevelopment commission agreed to ask financial consulting firm Baker Tilly for help with estimating the financial impact for the school corporation.

Theurer-Miller, who is also part of Portland Main Street Connect, updated the redevelopment commission on its activities. She shared a prototype marker for a historical trail the Main Street group is working to develop with assistance from Jane Spencer and Rob Weaver of Jay County Historical Society. She also noted that various businesses, including MW Sales garden Center, Bricker's Flowers and More, and B&B Powdercoating, for their contributions to downtown beautification efforts.

The redevelopment commission also approved, with Theurer-Miller abstaining, a total of $2,800 for Forrest Johnson to create new planters for the Meridian Street bridge over the Salamonie River. (The planters were removed this summer when the bridge was under construction.)

In other business:

•The commission heard its financial report with Portland clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips noting that it has a total balance of $1.31 million. (Johnston noted that of that total, $350,000 has been committed to the city’s proposed Meridian Street storm sewer project.)

•Answering a question from Johnston, Boggs said the city plans to move forward with the sewer project after receiving a $780,450 State Transportation and Stormwater Grant. The city has two other grant applications out of the project. Boggs said he hopes to be able to bid the project in the spring and have it completed in 2022.

•Boggs asked commission members to confirm with him whether or not they plan to serve again next year.