Cottage Grove Sentinel
Community News
D1
THURSDAY | MARCH 12, 2020
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The iconic Bank Building along Main Street in Cottage Grove’s Historic District is evolving with a look to recpature its past while providing housing for the future.
Local developer’s vision reshaping Cottage Grove
Projects headed by developer Len Blackstone aim to improve jobs, housing
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
L
en Blackstone is trying to revitalize
Cottage Grove — one project at a
time.
As owner, general contractor and land-
lord of the Bank Building on the corner of
Main and Sixth streets, Blackstone is secur-
ing a lasting difference downtown with the
building’s renovation.
At this year’s Chamber of Commerce
awards ceremony in January, Blackstone
received the Community Impact Award for
his work on the Bank Building and other
projects, which have included the Stewart
Building on Main Street and brokering
land sales in the Cottage Grove Industrial
Park.
On top of these, the developer is also
planning a housing project on the old Har-
rison Elementary School property.
“[I’m trying to] bring more well-paying
jobs to our community,” said Blackstone,
summarizing his goal for the town.
Blackstone’s interest in development
projects for Cottage Grove began during a
parade on Main Street as he gazed at the
dilapidated Bank Building.
“I asked a life-changing question: ‘What
can I do to help my hometown?’” he said.
Using his decades of marketing expe-
rience, Blackstone in effect hired himself
to take on Cottage Grove as client and,
through his analysis, deter-
mined that jobs were the key
to answering his question.
“Jobs are related to busi-
nesses, businesses are relat-
ed to buildings, buildings
are related to land — so in
one sense it’s really con-
nected to jobs, people and
space,” he said. “For me, it’s
not about real estate. It’s not
about buildings. It’s about
well-paying jobs, because
well-paying jobs provide money for fami-
lies to feed their kids, raise their kids and
live a better life.”
He also recognized that people need
businesses which provide this standard of
living. In this, Blackstone began wondering
how to revive downtown.
Blackstone recalled one day in down-
town Oregon City striking up a conversa-
tion with a parking enforcement officer. He
asked if the area had always looked as nice
as it did. The officer replied that it hadn’t
and when she was a little girl, the area was
actually dangerous. Blackstone asked her
what happened.
The officer pointed to a renovated build-
ing and said, “That was the biggest, ugliest
building in downtown.”
“Jobs are related to businesses, businesses are
related to buildings, buildings are related to
land — so in one sense it’s really connected to
jobs, people and space.”
— Len Blackstone, local developer
The interaction stuck with Blackstone
and he later saw a similar metamorpho-
sis of a Salem neighborhood utilizing the
same concept. Ideas for Cottage Grove’s
Bank Building began churning.
‘Live, Work and Play’
Making the 115-year-old Bank Building
downtown a focus of his attention has been
perhaps the most conspicuous of Black-
stone’s efforts.
Built in 1904, the two-story building
was originally the site of the Cottage Grove
Bank, hence the prominent typeface “Bank
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Building” displayed on its façade. When
the institution failed and moved out in
1929, businesses began claiming space
and a hodgepodge of changes contributed
to the building falling out of
recognition.
Decades of patchwork
modifications had stripped
the building of much of its
original aesthetic, causing a
lack of architectural continu-
ity between its ground floor
businesses while leaving the
second floor’s face to weather
and crack due to inattention.
Blackstone’s project will
see a complete renovation of
the interior, establishing businesses, offices
and work spaces on the ground floor and
six modernized apartments above while re-
turning the original balance and symmetry
to its outside appearance.
As the apartments are nearing comple-
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in February to observe the changes and
even apply for future residency.
“I think they’re doing a great job.,” said
local resident Cathy Donahue. “It makes it
look better.”
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