The Dalles Urban Renewal Update
By Cole Goodwin
Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency Board held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, February 15th 2022. The board shared updates on Urban Renewal finances, the First Street Riverfront Connection Project, the Tony’s building demolition, the Recreation Building, and more.
Watch the Meeting: Click here to watch the livestream of the January 18th, 2022 meeting.
Read More: February 15th, 2022 Urban Renewal Agency Agenda.
Submit Public Comments: Click here to email the Urban Renewal Agency.
The Agenda Highlights
John Fredrick’s Recognition of Service
New Board Member
Urban Renewal Financial Update
First Street Riverfront Connection Project Update
Tony’s Town and Country Asbestos Abatement & Building Demolition
Project Updates
John Fredrick’s Recognition of Service
Video Time: 5:22
Chair Darcy Long took a moment to recognize recently deceased John Fredrick’s five years of service to Urban Renewal. Alice Cannon also shared a story about how John Fredrick’s had helped her when she first started at Urban Renewal.
Urban Renewal Gets a New Board Member
Video Time: 7:28
Lindsey Giamei of The Dalles Workshop was appointed to the Urban Renewal board.
Financial Update
Video Time: 14:34
Nick Popenuk, President of of Tiberius Solutions LLC presented a financial update to the Urban Renewal Board. The update concluded that Urban Renewal has a $9.2 million capacity for future projects.
Urban Renewal has $9.2 million capacity for future projects and about 4 years left to spend it.
The Dalles was continuing a slow and steady 2.7% average annual growth rate.
Tax increment financing (TIF) income is on average growing from $1.6 million to $2.1 million per year.Urban Renewal has used 79% of its total maximum indebtedness. Leaving a remaining $6,253,756. Popenuk said that in the event that no TIF funding was available Urban Renewal could still continue it’s activities until 2026.
First Street Riverfront Connection Project Update
Video Time: 36:38
Alice Cannon, Community Development Director, gave an update on the First Street Project. Cannon shared that the project design was 95% complete as of September and that due to cost increases Urban Renewal would need to contribute an additional $1.1 million to the project this year.
Cannon said they hoped the project would be ‘out to bid’ to contractors within the next year and a half.
Oregon Department of Transportation will also assist with the project.
The City will also have to do a land swap with the railroad to complete the project as some City facilities are currently on railroad property.
First Street Project Background Information
The project has been in the works since 2008 when the City was awarded a $1.6 million federal grant to complete the project. The project was put on hold for several years and was picked back up in 2018.
The project was intended to connect Lewis and Clark Park and go under the railroad and then into downtown. However the project has morphed due to costly design and complex negotiations with the railroad. The First Street Project is now a street reconstruction between Union and Laughlin Streets involving new utility lines, new fill material to reenforce the street, brand new sidewalks with ADA ramps, and new asphalt.
Tony’s Town and Country.
Tony’s Town & Country Asbestos Abatement and Building Demolition Project
Video Time: 50:38
“We are progressing,” said Alice Cannon.
Alice Cannon shared that Urban Renewal had a verbal agreement with Business Oregon to award $250,000 to the project. Business Oregon has also offered Urban Renewal a no interest loan to cover remaining dollars needed to demolish the Tony’s building.
Tony’s Demolition Background Information
On July 28th, 2021 The Dalles Historic Landmark Commission and the Urban Renewal Board held a hearing to determine whether the Tony’s buildings should be repaired or demolished. Following the hearing it was determined by the Commision and Urban Renewal that the building should be demolished.
Project Updates
Video Time: 55:58
Recreation Building Update
The Recreation Building.
At the January 18th, 2022 board meeting, the board approved the fifth addendum to the Recreation Building Disposition and Development Agreement for the 213-219 E. 2nd St. The addendum gives building owner Todd Carpenter another year to complete demolition and reconstruction at the Recreation building.
Tood Carpenter and Carla McQuade have passed inspections on the two storefronts furthest east, and a final sale of those two properties to Carpenter and Mquade will be underway soon. The western storefront is slated to become a candy and ice cream shop. The store furthest east is slated for retail. Carpenter has finished putting new flooring into the building and is now working on an outdoor seating portion of the business.
Recreation Building Background Information
Todd Carpenter, owner of the Last Stop saloon purchased the Recreation Building in 2019. Construction and repair of the building has been ongoing following that purchase. In 2020, Carpenter was awarded $80,250 by Urban Renewal to remove the roof of the building. The roof had to be removed due to significant water damage from a heavy rain event which had occurred in August of 2019.
In August of 2021 Carpenter said that next steps included installing a steel structure that would stretch from the retaining wall to the rafters as the interior of the building needed to undergo repairs to strengthen the building's integrity. Other next steps also included, ordering glass and doors, prepping for indoor occupancy, preparing and saving the old wood from the bowling alley ceiling to reuse it as flooring, and the installation of plumbing, electrical, and sprinkler systems
Other Project Updates
Urban Renewal Strategic Planning Update: One Year Goals will be done in April, May will focus on the budget.
The Community Vision Project will be completed in May.
