Facade program working its magic in downtown Sandy

By Jim Hart

The Sandy Post, Sep 29, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Jim Hart / Sandy Post

BEFORE minor repairs,at left, the building at 38952 Pioneer Blvd. had a dilapidated appearance. AFTER repairs, at right, utilizing the Sandy façade grant program and another state grant, the building’s appearance has been greatly improved.

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Sandy’s façade grant program is off and running, according to Planning Director Tracy Brown, who says the program is one of Sandy’s noteworthy endeavors.

The program subsidizes with matching grants businesses that maintain and improve the appearance of the part of their building visible from the street.

With better looking business storefronts, Brown said, it’s more likely that passersby will stop and visit local businesses – improving the local economy.

“This makes the overall city look better,” he said, “and shows property owners’ pride in ownership. It’s basically free money (that also helps increase property value).”

Seven grants already have been approved, which would gain about $60,000 in grant money for projects with a total value of about $125,000. But the applications have not stopped coming in to City Hall. Brown said he received another on Monday of this week.

Included among the most current applications is an as-yet unopened new business: a tea shop on Proctor Boulevard as well as Cool Printing and Copies, which is planning almost a complete exterior remodel that will cost about $84,000. The business owner will pay about $47,000 of that amount

Among its remodel changes are adding a pitched roof, new siding, stone work on three sides, adding handicap accessibility and new windows.

“It’s pretty much a makeover of that building,” Brown said. “It will look dramatically different.”

The first façade grant of about $4,300 helped repair and repaint three historic buildings owned by Mark Dindia of Sandy. Since they are historic in nature, another grant from Oregon Main Street for more than $7,000 helped complete the project with only $1,300 required of Dindia.

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