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Development authority seeks to get 850 Main operating quickly; board to prioritize cafe, stairs and permitting
Summary
Staff presented a detailed punch list for 850 Main Street and the board agreed in principle to prioritize repairs to open the bottom floor/cafe first; the board asked staff to identify funding sources before any spending occurs.
Director Dennis and economic-development staff briefed the board on the redevelopment status of 850 Main Street and a proposed phased approach to get revenue-generating spaces open.
Director Dennis reported staff have received construction and repair quotes for exterior stairs, elevator inspection and interior repairs and recommended a focused punch list to secure at least a temporary certificate of occupancy for the bottom floor so a cafe and suites can operate. "The exterior stairwell is the most expensive piece... This is somewhere between 46 to $50,000 to... fix and address the exterior stairwell," Director Dennis said when describing the largest remaining item.
Planning staff (Savon Irons Kamasa) outlined permitting and life-safety steps required for a certificate of occupancy and said food-service tenants also require county health approvals. "Typically, certificate of occupancies are issued strictly upon verified compliance," Savon Irons Kamasa said, noting a temporary CO may be possible if life-safety requirements are satisfied but that grease-trap needs are dependent on the tenant's intended use.
The board discussed funding options — borrowing, loans secured by property, or asking the city to allow the DA to retain a portion of pilot payments — and the chair summarized the result: board members gave staff a consensus directive to prepare a prioritized budget and funding plan and to return with details before any money is spent. Attorney Glaze noted the DA currently has some money in the city's custody but the assignment of pilot payments has not yet been amended, so access will require agreement with the city.
Why it matters: bringing the bottom floor into operation is intended to generate lease revenue and reduce reliance on one-time property sales. Key near-term constraints are safety code inspections, elevator repair and the potential need for a grease trap if food service is included.
Next steps: staff will prepare a detailed cost estimate and funding recommendation, coordinate permitting and inspections, and return to the board with a financing plan. No expenditures were approved at this meeting.
