A year from now there will be two more restaurants in downtown Jefferson if a pair of projects stay on schedule.
Why Not Us announced earlier this month plans to open The Centennial in the former location of Angie’s Tea Garden possibly as soon as next spring, with Sara Ostrander will be restauranteur.
The Jefferson city council at its Oct. 12 meeting took steps to assist Amanda Bills and Addi Meyer in opening The Public House at the corner of N. Chestnut and E. State Sts next fall.
The council held a public hearing and then passed a resolution approving an application for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for renovation of six second-story apartments in the building. Bills and Karla Janning of Region XII Council of Governments explained that obtaining the grant for upper story work will allow other funds already in place, including a $75,000 Challenge grant and tax increment financing (TIF) funds to be used for the street level restaurant in former hardware store. An application for historic tax credits is also in process.
Per the CDBG guidelines, the upper story apartments must be completed first. Five of the six apartments will be designated for households earning 80 percent or less of the adjusted median income (about $40-$42,000 for a family of one and $45,000 for a family of two) for the next three years. Bills said recent tenants in the apartments would have met that guideline. “There really won’t be a significant change or hurdle for us,” Bills said.
The building was constructed in 1932. Three of the apartments were updated in the 1980s; the remaining apartments have not been updated since prior to that. Bills said they plan to keep the historic feeling of the building, with arched hallways and hardwood floors.
Total project cost is $966,294.
In other downtown business, the council approved a façade rehabilitation grant in the amount of $40,938 for the Sierra Community Theatre for replacement of the six large upper story windows on the front of the theatre. Total cost of the project is $53,588.
The council approved the promotion of Jefferson police sergeant Jason Kroeger to captain at an annual salary of $65,000. Kroeger started in the department as a patrol officer 19 years ago. “He’s going to be a great addition in functioning as captain,” chief Mark Clouse said. “There are a lot of things he can turn to and start moving forward. We’re looking forward to bringing him up and getting him started.”
The council agreed to accept the donation of the house and lot at 1006 N. Walnut St from current owner Steve Murphy.
City building officer Chad Stevens explained Murphy had planned to demolish the house, but now another person is interested in rehabilitating it. Stevens suggested that if the city owned the house, the city could set the parameters for the rehab. Cleaning up trash on the property will be part of the project.
The council approved a pay request and substantial completion of the Jefferson municipal airport runway extension project. Total cost of the project is $1,500,768, but that will change as final details are completed. Most of the cost has been paid by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The council heard a presentation from Grow Greene County board secretary Peg Raney on the Nov. 2 gaming referendum.
The council then approved a resolution commending Grow Greene County and Wild Rose Casino for their contributions to the community and county since Wild Rose opened in 2015. The resolution does not state support for the Nov. 2 gaming referendum. City attorney David Morain said that would not follow the precedent set by the council during the run up to the first gaming referendum in 2013, and that it could be construed as direct campaigning.
