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HrY FREp F, 1 D JATY ,1989 PAqE µ Store owners discuss renovations with design team Downtown Whitby store owners met with a design resource team from the Heritage Canada Main Street Programme last week to discuss building renovation and grants available for the work. After a Tuesday night BIA session during which extensive renovations in downtown Nelson, B.C. were outlined in a slide show, 11 Whitby store owners considering renovation spent the next two days in consultation with Main Street representa- tives. One of¯the owners consulting with the team, Bruce Jones of Brass Delights, said, "I found it interesting to talk to them. I will certainly go ahead and use some of the ideas. "We want to enlarge it (the premises). It's more a case of clean up the stucco, painting and (fixing) the windows. I look for- ward to to seeing color coordina- tion and what will suit the build- ing." "In Whitby, we're fortunate that we have a central down- town, one that can be renovated." Another owner, Bill Perkins, co-owner of Perkins Paints, was equally enthusiastic. 'It's great that they spent the time with us. We have plans. We very much believe in this, and will do everything we can to im prove." Russell Travel's AI Russell, who also had discussion with the design resource team, was "seri- ously thinking about" their recommendations. . "In our situation, it is more in the line of renovations. We have accepted their suggestions because of the fact that we were going to change the outside (anyway)." "They have helped us tremen- dously, and approved of the drop- ped ceiling using the old style of modelled tin, and (gave sugges- tions) on changes to the front. It was exciting. "I think this will draw more people into the downtown. If everybody does something, it can't help but help." A fourth owner, Donna Bor- chuk, owner of La Contessa beauty salon, approved of down- town renovation and restoration. "I think it's a good idea, and I'm thinking of doing something. It ( renovation and restoration) will most definitely draw more business to the downtown area," Borchuk said. Hans Honegger, Main Street proect coordinator who organ- ized the work on many Nelson buildings, told several *store owners at last Tuesday's BIA meeting that neglect of buildings is one the biggest problems in downtown areas. "People forget to look up," he said, referring to building decay. When renovation does occur, he noted, it is often "an endless train of fix-up, patch-up, fix-up." Honegger noted that while Whitby has a "legible" downtown area with a famililar road net- work, he urged that owners here, too take a look up. "i-ere I see definitely, badly maintained buildings....there are* many examples of people patch- ing up problems." Honegger says a search in the '60s for "realness" spearheaded the movement toward renovation which, when properly done shows use of "good materials and a clean, well-maintained image." Downtowns, he said, are the "last bastion of the independent merchant." And said some owners "can't afford not to do anything." In Nelson, which he said was a "declining town" when he was there from 1980 to 1984, he described renovation as a "matter of survival." "No matter how little money you have, you can do something,» e told store owners. "You may spend it, but you'll make it threefold." Projects in Nelson ranged in cost from $500 to $100,000, with cleaninz and painting relatively inexpensive. Volunteer help and community involvement were large factors of the success in Nel son (three movies were filmed there after), he said, adding that talented local tradespeople played a large role. "If you look around, they're out and quite willing to show what they're capable of." Honegger also noted that reno- vation of one building in Nelson usually led to renovation of the store building next door and so on, part of what he described as the "Keeping up with the Jones" syndrome. And once the build- ing's exterior (as often as pos- sible the original) was spruced up, the store interior. often fol- lowed ("The displays inside have all the dead flies swept up regu- SEE PAGE 26 * E ~ I ~ Dirty Dancing cleans up at frthur Murray Call 430-0014 409 Brock St. S., Whitby 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 J WALLPAP SALE e FROM SUGGESTED BOOK PRICES CHOOSE THE PATTERN THAT REFLECTS YOUR LIFESTYLE • DON'T BE SATISFIED WITH DULL IN STOCK SELECTIONS ALWAYS A CUSTOM PAINT COLOUR TO MATCH YOUR WALLPAPER WE WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE FROM HUNDREDS OF HIGH STYLE PATTERN BOOKS GREAT PERSONAL SERVICE OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE.# OPEN FRIDAY EVENINGS PERKNS **N W L%.OOERIGSLTD 10 YO T . VIB 668-586 là