THREE NEW BUSINESSES TO OPEN IN DOWNTOWN GRESHAM WITH INCENTIVE HELP - LILLIAN'S NATURAL MARKETPLACE, BELLA CUPCAKE, AND KZME TAKE ADVANTAGE OF "FEE HOLIDAY"
Posted: April 23rd, 2010 1:42 PM
Photo/sound file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2010-04/1046/DSC_0334.JPG (Debbie Philips, owner of Bella Cupcakes turns out a batch of her popular Red Velvet cupcakes)
Photo/sound file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2010-04/1046/DSC_0327.JPG (Dwight Unti and Lillian Negron have teamed up to bring Gresham a long-awaited speciality grocery store in downtown Gresham)
GRESHAM, Ore. – With encouragement from the City's recently approved small-business incentive program aimed at filling storefronts in Gresham's key commercial districts, three new businesses will open their doors in Downtown Gresham this summer. The new natural foods market, gourmet cupcake shop and local radio station will be located in 3rd Central, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development at the corner of NW 3rd Street and NW Miller Avenue. Combined, the businesses will fill all 5,450 square-feet available for ground-floor commercial development in 3rd Central.
"These are exactly the kind of enterprises that the City Council hoped to see open in Gresham when it approved the Small Business Incentives earlier this month," Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis said. "They will draw people to our downtown -- on foot, on bike, and by train, and as a group they symbolize the City's strong contention that we are open for business and we want you here."
Although the actual savings to each of the businesses are still being calculated, in the case of the grocery the City financial incentives could provide more than $20,000 in relief from typical fees and charges.
Lillian's Natural Marketplace will be the primary commercial tenant in 3rd Central. The creation of Lillian's is in direct response to the long-standing demand in Gresham for a specialty grocer in its urban core. Lillian's will carry locally grown organic produce, fresh and gluten-free bakery products, chemical-free dairy products, fresh seafood, hand-cut meats, organic coffees and teas, select wine and beers, eco-friendly household and beauty products, nutritional supplements, and an on-site deli and java/juice bar.
Bella Cupcake is a gourmet specialty bakery. It began in a home kitchen and rapidly grew out of the commercial kitchen Bella's owner Debbie Phillips established in her mother's home. "I saw a niche," Phillips said. "Portland has cupcakes in the Pearl and I wanted to bring cupcakes to Gresham. The incentives made it easier to move from my home to my new shop."
KZME is a non-commercial radio station dedicated to broadcasting local music, supporting local arts and culture, and sharing information about east county public affairs. The KZME transmitter will be located on Mount Hood in Brightwood and the studio will be located in Gresham. A translator was purchased in 2009. The station will be heard on 91.1 FM and 107.1 FM. The broadcast area will reach most of the east metro and Portland metro areas.
3rd Central
3rd Central is a 34-unit, transit-oriented, mixed-use development owned by Tokola Properties. The company is a Gresham-based development, construction and property management company focused on multi-family and mixed-use developments in Oregon and Washington.
More about the City's incentive program
New or expanding small businesses in Gresham's key commercial districts could qualify for a yearlong "fee holiday" as part of a package of new City initiatives aimed at filling empty storefronts and helping small businesses survive tough economic times.
To encourage small businesses to open or expand in the Downtown, Civic Neighborhood and central Rockwood areas, the city has approved waiving all development-related fees and first-year business-license fees for qualifying owners – and paying applicable system development charges on behalf of those businesses.
To qualify under the proposal, owners would have to receive certificates of occupancy for existing vacant commercial space before March 31, 2011, among other requirements. New or expanded businesses of up to 5,000-square-feet of space would be eligible. Other restrictions would apply.
A media packet is available at www.GreshamOregon.gov/news with high resolution photos, company stories, and detailed information about the incentive program.
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