Upcoming Trainings and Classes from Portland Main Street

The Design Committee of the Portland Main Street program will be hosting a “Main Street Building Basics” webinar on Tuesday, January 26, at 8:30 a.m., at the Central Administration building on the Portland High School campus.  Members of the public, especially those interested in historic preservation, are invited to attend.  Building or business owners who intend to apply for a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) façade grant or Main Street building design services are required to attend.

Though this webinar is free to attend, space is limited and participants must RSVP by Friday, January 22, 2009. RSVP’s can be made by calling the Main Street office at (517) 647-5027.

The presentation will be conducted by Kelly Larson, Main Street Architect for the State Historic Preservation Office.  Larson will focus on the history of downtowns and the evolution of older buildings over time.  She will also discuss historic-preservation principles and practices to maintain the unique qualities of historic buildings while also making them functional for today’s needs. 

Over the next year, the Portland Main Street Design Committee will coordinate two façade-improvement incentives for building and business owners in the Main Street district.  First, the Design Committee will select up to three downtown buildings to receive no-cost design services for façade improvements that protect the buildings’ historic integrity.  Those services include a schematic drawing of the proposed improvements, a preliminary cost estimate, and paint samples.  Design services are provided by the Michigan Main Street Center at the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the State Historic Preservation Office; they are administered through the Portland Main Street Design Committee.

The second incentive is the DDA’s ongoing façade grant program.  The DDA will offer two grants, up to $5,000 each, for façade improvements to Main Street district buildings, with each grant requiring matching funding from the applicant.  The January 26 presentation is a kick-off point for both the design services and the DDA façade grant program. 

A business or property owner in the Main Street district who is interested in receiving design services or applying for a façade grant must first attend a “Main Street Building Basics” presentation.  An application, available at the presentation and at the Main Street office, can then be submitted to the Design Committee for review and approval. 

To learn more about the January 26 “Building Basics” presentation, the Main Street design services, or the DDA façade grant program, please contact the Portland DDA Director/ Main Street Manager Patrick Reagan at (517) 647-5027 or by email at: ddamainstreet@portland-michigan.org.