Sheller tour

Chad Fifer is seeking assistance to continue improving the former Sheller-Globe south property.

Portland City Council members had the opportunity Monday to take a look at the improvements he has made so far.

During a special meeting Monday at the former Sheller-Globe south site, 510 S. Bridge St., Fifer explained what he has done since purchasing the property from the city and what his plans are for the future.

Fifer, the owner of Fifer Services, explained to council members Kent McClung, Dave Golden, Matt Goldsworthy, Ashley Hilfiker and Mike Aker that his plans for the property call for converting the north portion of the main structure into a sawmill.

He hopes to rent the south portion of the main structure, as well as another building, to other businesses. He also plans to work with TLS By Design, a furniture business in the former Sheller-Globe north site, to supply wood.

Fifer noted that the most pressing needs for the section that will house his sawmill are new walls — the existing walls have been removed — and insulation as well as electrical work.

He hopes to complete improvements to the south portion of the structure in 20,000-foot segments — it totals about 60,000 square feet — over five or six years.

Council members complimented Fifer’s efforts thus far, which include cleaning out the interior of the structures.

“Your sweat equity is huge here,” said McClung, the council president. “This building was not in this shape, has not been in this shape for decades.”

Fifer has also cleaned up the exterior property, specifically on the west side of the building and connecting to Seventh Street to the south. He has removed fencing, trees and brush from the area and hopes to be able to rent that space as well. (He has installed a retaining wall to maximize space.)

Fifer is seeking a $309,372 economic development income tax (EDIT) loan from the city — he’s requesting that it be made 75% forgivable — to assist with improvements to the property. He estimates that will be about 24% of the $1.31-million first phase of his plans for the property. (The bulk of that cost has come from cleaning up the property that sat vacant for decades.)

The city’s EDIT advisory committee recently reviewed his request, but held off on a recommendation to allow members to tour the facility. The EDIT advisory committee will meet again to vote on a recommendation on the request, which will then move to city council for final approval.

Thinking out loud about the EDIT loan request, McClung noted that this is not the first time the city has attempted to sell the structure for business development. None of the previous efforts have seen the kind of progress Fifer has made thus far.

“So to finally get momentum going here … what’s it worth?” McClung said.

“You’ve taken on a lot that’s sat empty for decades,” he added. “The amount of work you’ve done … I have no doubt that this is going to get done. …”

The city agreed in September 2022 to sell the property to Fifer for $50,000. The sale did not close until early this year as the city continued to work through environmental issues. (The city has agreed to follow through on mitigating any known environmental issues but will not be responsible for anything that comes up in the future.)