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