LAKEPORT — A plan to transform downtown is drawing near. The plan is aimed to help downtown businesses get a facelift and increase the aesthetic appeal in order to bring in more tourist dollars, rather than encourage big-box stores to come to the small city.
An all-volunteer, small committee of business-owners and citizens has been working steadily with area graphic design artist George Mejia since he was hired by the city last fall, and recently chose an architect for the project, Richard Ruff and Associates, out of Hopland and Ukiah.
City councilmen have discussed the project at several city council meetings, saying the plan will spur millions of dollars in private investment in the city.
City Manager Jerry Gillham said, “For every dollar that a city puts into a project, $10 of private capital investment follows.”
Community Development Director Richard Knoll said depending on market conditions, the city expects to receive up to $3.5 million in bonds to pay for the revitalization.
“At least half-a-million up to about $750,000 could go toward the building fa?ade portion. It depends on the demand that we see from property and business owners downtown. We”re anticipating offering 50 percent match grants up to $25,000. That number has not been formally defined at this point,” Knoll said.
If businesses are willing to conform to certain requirements ? such as an architectural plan matching the city”s vision for transformation ? the city “will then entertain a grant in the amount possibly up to $25,000 to help fund that improvement. That would require an equal match from the business owner,” Knoll said.
A component of the city”s match is to offer architectural services from Ruff and Associates.
“We want to reflect the basic architecture of the city. We”re not adopting a theme per se ? the actual design of a given building will reflect the historical era of the district,” Knoll said.
Some of the city”s architecture is 1890s-style, but a large portion of the city was reconstructed in a post-1900 fashion, with many buildings having been reconstructed after fires, earthquakes or remodeling.
“We want to mirror the 1880s, 1890s and 1900 historical era ? the whole issue of architectural design is a bit difficult to describe. What we”re going to encourage is that the design reflect history and pictures of what it used to look like,” Knoll said.
He and Gillham have not yet started a marketing program to reach out to business owners to get involved in the project. The bonds will go out this spring and the project is slated to begin this summer.
“We”ve had some discussion with property owners. The city manager and myself have gone out in the area north of Third Street and talked to most of the property owners about the project to convey what”s being talked about to determine their level of interest,” Knoll said.
Approval of hiring Ruff and Associates is expected by city council this spring. It may go before the council as early as next Tuesday, Knoll said.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
