Main Street turning focus to buildings

Portland’s Main Street group began with a focus on improving the aesthetics of the downtown area.

The next big challenge it hopes to tackle is improving downtown buildings.

Members of Portland Main Street Connect gave a presentation to Portland City Council on Monday laying out some of the things they have done and setting out a vision for the next steps.

Reda Theurer-Miller of the Main Street group explained the organization’s overall goal of creating a thriving downtown to improve the quality of life of the city’s residents, create a positive effect on the business community and improve the city’s tax base. She pointed to efforts over the last few years to bring in new planters with flowers, to purchase new Christmas decorations and to improve downtown lighting. She also noted collaborations such as work with the Muhlenkamp family on the Jay County Hometown Heroes veteran banner project and teaming with Arts Place on a successful grant application for a mural on the north side of Community Resource Center.

The next step, she said, is addressing downtown buildings that have absentee owners or are otherwise in a state of disrepair. That process started through meetings with city attorney Wes Schemenaur regarding ordinances and potential changes and with John Hemmelgarn of Jay/Portland Building and Planning.

Portland Main Street Connect members have also visited other communities — they have been to Rushville, New Castle and Union City so far — to look at what they have done to revitalize their downtown areas.

They have also reviewed ordinances from additional communities to gather ideas for what might work well in Portland.

Travis Richards, who sits on the Main Street board as executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, noted various approaches to improving downtown areas. Union City, he said, has taken ownership of buildings, stabilized and/or renovated them and then worked to get them back into the hands of business owners. New Castle, meanwhile, has created a building renovation assistance program in an effort to incentivize building owners to improve their properties.

The next step for Portland Main Street Connect, Theurer-Miller said, will be working with the redevelopment commission on the city’s economic development plan. (Portland Mayor John Boggs, who is also part of the Main Street board, noted that the city’s last economic development plan was approved in 2006 and that business owners, residents and others will be invited to be part of the process of creating a new plan.) The goal is to have it complete by November, with the Main Street group then using that template to move forward on its goals.

Council members thanked Portland Main Street Connect for its efforts.

“I think the difference you’ve made downtown is noticeable and, working together, you guys have done a great job,” said council member Janet Powers. “I’ve noticed it, and people who come to town notice it. So thank you.”

In other business:

•Council sent two tax abatement requests to the city’s tax abatement advisory board for its review. Pioneer Equipment Leasing is seeking a 10-year abatement on a $1.6 million investment in equipment to help automate its processes to keep up with the volume of its business and Pennville Custom Cabinetry is seeking a one-year tax abatement on $361,000 in new equipment. (Richards noted that the advisory committee will also be reviewing compliance forms for existing abatements at its next meeting.)

•Answering a question from Powers, Boggs said he received the asbestos report on the Bailey Building at the northwest corner of Main and Commerce streets. He said city officials will review the document as well as the results of the Phase I environmental study on the property and determine the path forward toward accepting bids for demolishing the dilapidated structure.

•Boggs also reported that the city recently received a “no further action” letter from Indiana Department of Environmental Management regarding the pump house mercury remediation at the former Sheller-Globe property on Bridge Street. He said it is “the first of several letters … that will narrow the city’s responsibility for items to be taken care of” at the property. He said he also received approved protocols for testing at the TLS by Design property (the former Sheller-Globe north site).

•Council member Mike Aker reminded residents that Portland Evening Optimist Club’s annual fishing derby for those 18 and younger begins at 8 a.m. Saturday at Hudson Family Park. Food will be served at 11:30 a.m.

•Council president Kent McClung wished a happy Juneteenth. “We celebrate a day that helped make us realize the promise that’s in our founding documents,” he said.