LAKEPORT — Business owners along Lakeport”s downtown Main Street will have the opportunity to give storefronts a facelift with the help of the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency (RDA).
Lakeport RDA Director Richard Knoll said the agency will supply interested businesses with $5,000 for the design and approval phase of upgrading fa?ades in the downtown area, and 50 percent of the cost to complete the work up to $25,000.
The plan is part of the agency”s five-year redevelopment plan for Lakeport.
“We have such a wonderful resource ? not just the lakefront itself, but this wonderful downtown. Lakeport has a great bonus here because the downtown is a block and a half off of the shoreline of Clear Lake,” Knoll said.
Knoll said redevelopment aims to bring new businesses to Lakeport, and part of the picture is to strengthen the city”s downtown area with the fa?ade improvement program. The agency contracted with the Ukiah architecture firm Ruff and Associates in February for preliminary design work.
“Everybody is familiar with what Lakeport looks like now, and it”s not bad. It”s got great bones,” Senior Associate Jason Brenner of Ruff and Associates said in a Tuesday night redevelopment workshop at Lakeport City Hall.
He showed attendees a computer-generated conceptual design that showed what renovated storefronts would look like along Main Street between Third and Fourth streets. The depiction included design plans the firm had developed with Ron Campos, owner of Campos Casuals on Main Street.
“Ron is really excited about this project. Hopefully he”s going to go forward with it ? it”s not inexpensive by any means,” Brenner said.
The design included transparent front windows and an arched roof, also with windows, and a new paint job. Brenner said the design used for Campos Casuals mimicked architecture during a time period when buildings were trying to look as big as they could.
“The key element is the transparency in the windows, and with that transparency, he probably won”t need to display as much, if anything, outside,” Brenner said.
Seven businesses in the area are interested, according to Brenner, including the Soper Reese Community Theater, CPA Peggy Campbell, and Hillside Honda, among others.
“We”re working with a lot of mom and pop shops. What”s nice is you get a sense of everyone”s vision ? this is their baby,” Brenner said.
Hillside Honda co-owner Barbara Breunig said she thinks the fa?ade improvement program will have the effect of drawing customers into businesses, but said she has a lot of work to do before deciding whether to participate.
“We haven”t given the OK yet. We need to have bids on what it”s going to cost. Until I know for sure, I can”t say we”re going along or not, especially with the economy the way it is,” Breunig said.
Business owners interested in applying for the program should contact Knoll at 263-8840.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
