DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2018
146TH YEAR, NO. 12
ONE DOLLAR
Astoria
backs
enterprise
zone
expansion
Tax incentives
for development
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
William Hicks waters plants around the new centerpiece of the space at the Abeco building in downtown Astoria.
A RETAIL MARKET WITH
ROMAN AMBIANCE
Astoria Court
will take over
Abeco building
By JESSICA DOUGLAS
The Daily Astorian
A
storia Court, a new mini shopping
mall, has transformed the former
Abeco building downtown. The
only familiar remnant is the Abeco sign
on the storefront facade.
William Hicks, who owns Hollywood
Vintage in Portland, has been renovating
the interior of the building since October.
The building has been stripped clean and
reconstructed from the ground up.
Aspects of classical Roman architec-
ture and design elements from the 1940s
are Hicks’ main inspirations for the space.
Black-and-white checkered tile floor
dominates the exposed room. Original to
the building, the tile was hidden by carpet
in the Abeco store. After Hicks discov-
ered the floor, the tiles served as a spring-
board for ideas.
“This floor is very Roman,” he said.
“When we were tearing it up, I felt like I
was in Pompeii, excavating and digging
in dirt and revealing this.”
It wasn’t an easy task. For Hicks, it was
“most unpleasant thing I’ve done in my
life,” he said. “We just kept persevering.”
Walking through the entrance, a water
fountain, accompanied by two large,
stained-glass windows on either side,
draw attention to the center of the room.
On each side of the fountain, rows of
marble-like Roman columns, constructed
out of a dark wood, divide the space into
small sections. These slots will be leased
out to diverse businesses.
Behind the stained glass windows is a
new grand staircase that was built to pro-
vide access to the basement.
See BUILDING, Page 7A
The only remaining distinguishable feature from the old Abeco building is the
facade, which Hicks said will come down at some point.
Astoria’s plans to join the Clatsop Enter-
prise Zone and expand the boundaries are
beginning to crystallize.
City councilors approved a map Monday
that showed what an expansion of the zone’s
boundaries could look like in Astoria.
The map added North Tongue Point to the
enterprise zone, as well as the Port of Asto-
ria’s East Mooring Basin and some nearby
property, a cluster of parcels not far to the
south of the Old Youngs Bay Bridge, a sec-
tion of downtown and a long stretch from
downtown, through Port property, around
Smith Point and over to Tapiola Park’s bor-
der along Youngs Bay.
A few more steps remain before Astoria is
officially part of the enterprise zone and the
proposed boundaries are finalized. The three
entities that established the zone in 2015 —
Clatsop County, the Port and Warrenton —
must approve of any modifications.
Enterprise zones are a tool to encourage
development, offering property tax exemp-
tions for new businesses or businesses look-
ing to expand. Oregon has 69 enterprise
zones, most of them in rural areas. The zones
do not supersede existing city codes and zon-
ing restrictions.
Astoria city councilors rejected the enter-
prise zone in 2015 over qualms about part-
nering with the Port. But times have changed.
The City Council reconsidered joining the
enterprise zone in March after a presentation
by Hyak Maritime, a tug and barge-building
company with plans to create a marine fabrica-
tion and repair facility at North Tongue Point.
Hyak CEO Robert Dorn made a case for Asto-
ria to join the enterprise zone and expand the
boundaries to include Tongue Point.
City Councilor Cindy Price, who voted
against the enterprise zone in 2015, now feels
the Port is more stable, with better leadership
in place. Two new councilors, Tom Brown-
son and Bruce Jones, have been enthusiastic
in their support of the expansion.
Astoria’s decision is an exciting develop-
ment for the Port.
“Timing is everything and this is the
most opportune time to move forward
with enterprise zones,” said Frank Spence,
the president of the Port of Astoria
See ZONE, Page 7A
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Major renovations to the space include a new staircase to the basement and a
Roman theme on the main level.
Hyak Maritime and WCT Marine & Con-
struction see an opportunity to make
North Tongue Point a regional center for
skilled shipwright work.
Warrenton food pantry in danger of closing
Church needs about
$200 a month to continue
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
WARRENTON — A church-run food pantry
that feeds an estimated 75 to 100 families each
week will close at the end of July if organizers
can’t find the money they need to keep the doors
open.
The pantry, the only one in Warrenton open
on a weekly basis, needs an estimated $200 a
month to cover office costs and electrical bills
associated with running several refrigerators and
freezers.
Pastor Morris Guiendon, of Calvary Assem-
bly of God, reached out to other churches in the
area for help. On Monday, he heard back from
Seaside Assembly of God with news that the
church could provide some immediate assistance
and, possibly, more regular aid.
If Guiendon is unable to find a solution in the
community, representatives of the Clatsop Com-
munity Action Regional Food Bank told him
they will ensure the services the pantry provides
continue in some way.
“This could be a positive thing as well, reach-
ing out to the community,” Guiendon added,
explaining that some of the people who use the
pantry come from other congregations and com-
munities. “Making more of a community effort
to keep this thing running could become a posi-
tive thing for our community.”
Landing consistent money could prove diffi-
cult. The food pantry’s affiliation with a religious
organization limits what kind of aid is available.
Katie Frankowicz/The Daily Astorian
See FOOD PANTRY, Page 7A
A delivery arrives at the food pantry at the Calvary Assem-
bly of God church in Warrenton.