2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 1, 2015
Polk County News
Downtown eyesore being sold
Deal nearly
complete for
‘Blue Garden’
site in Dallas
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Most longtime
residents of Dallas have a
story about the Blue Garden
in downtown Dallas —
memories of its hopping
heyday.
Those days may come
back — at least that is the
hope of prospective new
owner Bob Collins.
He is in the process of
buying the deteriorated 125-
year-old building, located at
827 Main St. The sale is cur-
rently in escrow, but with ru-
mors running around town
about its possible purchase,
he decided to come forward
about his plans for the land-
mark.
A 35-year Dallas resident
and owner of Collins & Lind-
sly Construction, Collins has
his own Blue Garden story.
A deputy for the Polk
County Sheriff’s Office from
1979 to 1994, he was offered
his first job with the depart-
ment during an interview at
the restaurant.
“That turned into a 28½-
year career,” said Collins,
who retired from law en-
forcement in 2007.
Now he’s a general con-
tractor with the expertise to
restore the place to its for-
mer glory. His goal is to turn
the ground floor into a
restaurant again, keep the
second-floor apartments,
and build an office for his
company and meeting space
on the third floor.
Collins said he has some-
one in mind to run the
restaurant, but isn’t ready to
reveal who yet.
“I watched it decline to
the point it is now and it’s
made me sick,” Collins said
Monday. “I want to bring it
back to what it was.”
Ginnie McDaniel, owner
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Dallas resident Bob Collins is in the process of purchasing the Blue Garden in down-
town Dallas. He has plans to restore the former Dallas hot spot to its former glory.
of Dallas Antique Mall locat-
ed next door to the Blue Gar-
den, couldn’t be more
thrilled about the prospect
of the restoration.
“I love it,” she said Mon-
day. “I’m so thankful that it’s
got a business going in.”
McDaniel said the last
thing downtown Dallas
needs is for it to remain va-
cant much longer.
Dallas City Manager Ron
Foggin is equally as hopeful
for the restoration — and for
the further development re-
newed activity at the loca-
tion may inspire downtown.
He said the condition of
the Blue Garden building is
one of the most frequently
mentioned concerns about
Dallas’ city center.
“As far as the core down-
town buildings, it is the most
iconic — and most picked
on — buildings,” Foggin
said. “It had been a gem of
downtown. To have it sit
there idle and looking so
shabby is disconcerting to
long-time residents.”
Foggin said he’s glad to see
someone local with an inter-
est in seeing the building be
active again take possession.
“It will be a shot in the
arm for downtown,” he said.
Fully aware of the condi-
tion of the building, Collins
understands how much
work he has ahead of him.
“The building was all but
condemned,” he said. “It’s
125 years old. It deserves
some love. It really does.”
Collins has been in touch
with the city about his plans
and inquired about funding
to help refurbish the facade.
His vision is to replace the
blue tile that had to be re-
moved and restore the Blue
Garden sign to its original
condition when it was placed
on the building in 1924.
Collins said restoring the
sign will one of the first proj-
ects he takes on after the sale
is complete. The sign will be
removed temporarily and
taken to a shop in Salem for
some much needed TLC and
placed back on the front of
the building.
“We will be trying to re-
turn its basic street facade to
what it was,” he said.
Collins said before begin-
ning the process of buying the
building, he researched its
history. He found it opened in
1890 as a mercantile and later
was a candy store. After that it
became the restaurant many
people remember, which
closed in the 1990s.
But just in the short time
he was outside the building
taking measurements recent-
ly, he’s learned more about its
history — and place in the
community — from passers-
by who stopped to tell him
their Blue Garden stories.
“Just story after story,” he
said. “People are excited to
see it come back on line.”
Seeing nothing that will
bring the sale to a halt,
Collins estimates he will
have possession of the build-
ing in about two weeks. He
invites more residents to
share their memories and
experiences at the Blue Gar-
den and is excited to be able
to end the former hot spot’s
long years of decline.
Likely, many others in
Dallas will share that feeling.
“It’s a beautiful building,”
McDaniel said. “I think it’s
going to benefit the whole
town.”
May ballot lacks
contested races
Itemizer-Observer staff report
POLK COUNTY — The
deadline has come and gone
for the May 19 ballot, and lit-
tle interest was shown in
running for open positions.
No race is contested in
the bid for seats on boards
of water districts, fire dis-
tricts and school districts in
Polk County.
In fact, two seats on the
Central School District
Board of Directors had no
candidates file for the posi-
tion. A number of positions
on vari-
ous water
districts
also have
no can-
didates
interest-
ed.
T h e
first bal-
lots for the May 19 special
district election will be
mailed out on Friday to
military personnel and oth-
ers residing oversees. The
rest of the ballots will be
mailed on April 30.
The last day to register to
vote is April 28.
Deadline to submit bal-
lots is May 19 at 8 p.m.
DALLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Position 2
Matt Posey
Position 5
Michael Bollman
CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Position 1
Steven F. Moser
Position 2
No candidate filed
Position 3
Steven A. Love
Position 5
Kathy Zehner
Position 7
No candidate filed
PERRYDALE
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Position 1
John W. Cruickshank Jr.
Position 4
Anna M. Scharf
FALLS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Position 2
Bob Young
Position 4
Jami L. Kidd
POLK COUNTY
FIRE DISTRICT NO. 1
Position 1
Tom N. Snair
Position 4
Joe Franko
Position 5
Mike Lippsmeyer
SOUTHWEST POLK RURAL
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Position 2
Frank W. Pender Jr.
Position 4
Robert T. Davis
SPRING VALLEY RURAL
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Position 2
No candidate filed
Position 3
Virginia L. Nelke Roberg
Position 4
Anne M. Cupich
ASH CREEK WATER
CONTROL DISTRICT
Position 1
No candidate filed
Position 2
No candidate filed
Position 4
Dan Farnworth
Position 6
No candidate filed
Position 8
No candidate filed
BUELL RED PRAIRIE
WATER DISTRICT
Position 2
No candidate filed
Position 4
Mark A. Millikan
Position 5
Wendell Lux
ROCK CREEK
WATER DISTRICT
Three positions open
Roy Steele, Stan M. Mills,
Leonard Fischer.
DALLAS CEMETERY DISTRICT
Position 3
John F. Barbour
Position 5
Rod Watson
FIR CREST
CEMETERY DISTRICT
One position open
Christy L. Riddell
HILLTOP
CEMETERY DISTRICT
One position open
Mary A. McDaniel
PEDEE CEMETERY DISTRICT
Position 3
Tom K. Griffith
SALT CREEK
CEMETERY DISTRICT
One position open
Marvin A. Morey
MEASURE 27-117
Polk County Public Safety
Local Option Tax
Yes or No
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