Downtown Yakima Façade Improvement Puts a Bow on 2017
This Year’s Façade Project – Crafted Mural – Completed, Signed, Sealed and Delivered
For the third straight year a Downtown Yakima business has undergone a transformational façade improvement with the assistance of the Downtown Association of Yakima (DAY). Each year DAY chooses a recipient of the Façade Improvement Grant Program in its effort to support business development and historical restoration in the downtown corridor. In 2017 the owners of Crafted, a new artisan restaurant in the historic Barrel House Building on North First Street, applied for a grant to completely replace a deteriorating mural on its south facing wall with a brand new mural that would beautify the wall and tastefully market the restaurant. The grant also included structural improvements to the wall.
DAY awarded Crafted a $6,000 matching grant for the project along with consultation support from an historic architect regarding preservation concerns. As of this press release, the Crafted project has been completed with excellent results (Before/After images below) and all documents have been signed and payments dispersed. “This project is extremely gratifying,” says Executive Director of DAY, Andrew Holt. “Not only did the program assist in the improvement of a prominent building in our downtown business corridor, but it also assisted in the emergence of new and vibrant business. It was a pleasure working with owners Mollie and Dan Koommoo whose commitment to Downtown Yakima is nothing but inspiring.”
The Crafted project marks the third project completed in the three year life of the DAY Façade Improvement Program, following façade makeovers at the Thai House and Emporium Building. Each year businesses in the designated Downtown Historic Corridor are eligible to apply for a 50/50 matching grant. The Design Committee of DAY reviews the applications in accordance with a scoring system and awards available funds based on total scores and the perceived merit of the projects. An announcement of next year’s grant application period will come in early 2018.
“This program is so wonderfully tangible as it pertains to revitalizing our downtown and DAY’s mission,” says Holt. “All of our programs and efforts are meaningful but there is nothing like seeing the transformation of an historic building.” Holt adds that the façade was just one portion of a tremendous amount of private investment in the building by the Koommoo’s.
Posted December 11, 2017
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