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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2023)
EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 18 , 2023 Old Heppner Gazette Times building remodel -Continued from PAGE ONE 2020 to help rural business- chased Ida Farrah’s old space in the old Gazette be handicapped-accessible. One front portion of the building, the part that housed Heppner City Hall once upon a time, will become office spaces. Cutsforth said it will be something of a community spot, with a small lobby surrounded by six offices. The old city hall safe will stay put, built into the wall of the lobby. Some of the offices will house existing organizations; Cutsforth, who also sits on the boards of the Bryant foundation and HCF, will have an of- fice there. The Heppner Chamber of Commerce and WCVEDG will also find homes there. The rest of the offices will be flex space for peo- ple who need office spaces but don’t need them all the time. “If, for instance, you want some kind of business but only need an office one day a week,” Custforth said, adding that the cost for those flex offices will be lower than renting tra- ditional office space. Aside from the space for an office, small business owners and startups will also have access to profes- sionals who can help them with services like setting up websites, branding, creating business plans and finances. There will also be business classes. “It gives people an op- portunity to start up with- out a huge investment up front,” she said. Teaming up to help with that part of the proj- ect is Reinventing Rural. Reinventing Rural is an initiative whose goal is to help community organi- zations create strong ru- ral economies. The virtual community was launched in es in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest adapt to evolv- ing economic conditions. They partner with entities like Rural Development Initiatives, Oregon’s Small Business Development Center, Foundry Collective and others to offer tools, training and guidance for startups and small business- shop on Main Street a while ago, converting part of it into Flood Town Books and part of it into a small Airb- nb apartment. She said she planned from the beginning to make the garage portion into an art studio. She even spent time talking to Ro- berta Lavadour, Executive Director of the Pendleton building will be a place for community members to create fine arts and crafts. “It’s going to be set up so people can go in there and do any number of art projects,” said Cutsforth, adding that they plan to install special lighting. Plans also include a sink for cleaning art sup- Some of the building plans created by Engineering Northwest. -Contributed es. One thing they will do is Center for the Arts, about plies, and Nelson has al- train Heppner staff to train ideas and resources. ready been busy buying others in business. “It always came down large supplies like easels Another portion at the to space and funding,” said and painting stools, as well front, the long-ago sheriff’s Nelson. as pricing out cabinetry and office, will be an art studio. She said she was look- rolling carts for art supplies. Working with Cutsforth ing into grants when Cuts- Smaller supplies will have on the art studio portion is forth approached her about to wait until they get an idea local woman Andrea Nel- her plans. of what the finished space son. Nelson, who teaches “She came to me and will look like. art and STEAM in Heppner said, ‘I’m buying the old “It’s a waiting game schools, has a long-seat- Gazette building and I’d right now,” Nelson said. ed passion for developing like to put an art studio in She says she is hoping more of an arts community there,’” Nelson remembers. the art center will have in Morrow County, begin- Nelson is continuing space for a studio to display ning with Heppner. with plans for her own art, not just create it, but “I would like Morrow space, as well as the Art that detail will also have to County to have more art and in the Park program she be worked out later. cultural opportunities for all started last year, but now Meanwhile, plans for ages,” said Nelson. she’s also partnering with the space by Flood Town She said she already Cutsforth in making plans Books include a pottery stu- had plans of her own for for the arts portion in the dio and kiln. Right now, that an art center. Nelson pur- new community space. The space looks just as gutted Toward the back of the building will be an L-shaped event area, separated by breakfast bar from a certified kitchen. A roll-down door over the bar will allow the two spaces to be separated. The roll-up door in the back will remain—in a way. It will be replaced by a glass rolling door and will open onto a patio area edged by a retaining wall. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo as the building on Willow Cutsforth says the event Street; the drywall has been center portion will be able pulled off, and the next step to handle larger events with is to redo the electric to more foot traffic than Gil- meet the requirements for liam & Bisbee and, unlike the kiln and other equip- venues like the fairgrounds, ment. Nelson will still own will keep community events the space and is working downtown. At around 1,800 on funding separately from square feet, the event center the Heppner Community will be slightly smaller than Foundation, but she will the Gilliam & Bisbee Event partner with the foundation Center, but the building’s to include the pottery studio concrete and timber con- in the community art space. struction makes it sturdier. She hopes to have that “Gilliam & Bisbee is portion of the project done a nice place to do nice and ready by May, though things,” Cutsforth said. the old Gazette building “This will be a fun place to remodel probably won’t be do fun things.” done until June or later. The space will be avail- The rest of the Gazette able for rental on a sliding building will be an event scale, with smaller fees center, Cutsforth said, more for non-profit groups like flexible and less formal than 4-H clubs who are willing Gilliam & Bisbee. It will to do setup and cleanup form an L shape, taking in themselves. That fee would part of the Gale Street side most likely be only enough and the back of the build- to cover basic janitorial ing. There will be a certified services. kitchen with a breakfast bar “It’s just going to be separating it from the main a lot more casual space,” event space. The spaces can Cutsforth added. “It’s going be used together, but a roll- to be really pretty. I’m ex- up door over the bar will cited to see how it’s going provide the option to keep to look.” the spaces separate. Grants for Small Businesses The state of Oregon has grants available for small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Learn More & Apply biz.oregon.gov