PORT ANGELES — The project to spruce up downtown is getting back on track after being offset by several days of bad weather over the last few weeks.
The painting of the Downtown Hotel and Cornerhouse Restaurant was completed a week ago, and the painting of the Copies Plus building at 120 N. Oak St. was completed Sunday.
“I obviously think it looks a lot better,” said Tim Chamberlain, Downtown Hotel general manager.
“The guys did a real nice job, and I give my congratulations to the people who picked out the color scheme.”
Chamberlain said he hadn’t heard of any comments on the new paint scheme from guests but expects the hotel’s “regular” guests will take notice.
“I’m sure we will be hearing from them as they see the new colors,” he said.
While much of the work with the “Our Community At Work: Painting Downtown” project is, or will be, done by volunteers, Liquid Painting of Port Angeles was hired by the owner of the building to apply the paint.
Edna Petersen, Painting Downtown co-chairwoman, said the project is about two weeks behind because of poor weather, but the volunteers aren’t discouraged.
“Everyone is dedicated,” she said. “We’ve just been waiting for the sun.”
Painting Downtown involves nearly 40 buildings and storefronts, mostly downtown, and about 200 volunteers.
Jan Harbick, co-chair, said the project will continue even if it surpassed the projected end date of June 15.
“We will continue until we get them all done,” said Harbick, Port Angeles Downtown Association vice president.
The intent of the project is for volunteers, or the building owners themselves, to adopt a building, which they will spruce up by providing a fresh coat of paint or simply by cleaning off all the grime.
The paint schemes for the buildings are designed mainly by Charles Smith of Lindberg & Smith Architects.
The supplies and equipment for the volunteers is either donated or provided at a discounted rate by several local businesses, including NC Machinery, Hartnagel Building Supply, Angeles Millwork, Sunset Do it Best Hardware, Parker Paints, Swain’s General Store and Fastenal.
“The angels in the project have been the folks that provided us with the ladders, lifts . . . and pressure washers,” said Petersen, owner of Necessities and Temptations gift shop.
The idea for the project sprang from a couple of Port Angeles-area residents during meetings with members of the American Institute of Architects, who were in Port Angeles last month on a grant to recommend improvements for the design of the city, and recent workshops on sustainability at Peninsula College.
Painting Downtown is mainly organized by the two co-chairs and a volunteer coordinator who ensure that the volunteers, or the painting crews hired by building owners, have the necessary permits and vouchers for supplies. The volunteers then organize the work themselves.
Cathy Haight, volunteer coordinator, said she coordinates with volunteers via e-mail when she gets the go-ahead for work to begin on a building or storefront, which can be dependent upon when a new paint scheme for a building is designed and OK’d by the building owner.
Work this week
Haight said the Harbortowne Mall, Toggery and Art Fiero Marine Life Center will be pressure-washed and painted this week.
She said volunteers from the Port Angeles High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps were scheduled to complete the painting on Copies Plus.
The project manager for the Copies Plus painting is Larry Hayden.
“I think this is a wonderful step in the right direction for the city,” said the 62-year-old retired social worker on Friday.
“It’s something that I’d like to see done on a yearly basis.”
Charlie Morley, Copies Plus graphic designer, said he is glad to see the work happening.
“It’s great to see everyone coming together to spruce up downtown Port Angeles,” he said.
“It definitely will be a spruce up.”
Also being worked on last week was the building at 111 and 107 Oak Street on the opposite side of Oak Street from Copies Plus.
Workers with Liquid Painting said they pressure-washed the building on Thursday and expect to have the painting done by the end of the week.
They also said they’ve been awarded jobs from the city to paint two buildings it owns next to The Gateway transit center as part of the project.
Those buildings house Budget-Rent-A-Car, Cock-A-Doodle Doughnuts and the former On The Boardwalk restaurant.
The workers said they will likely start that job this week.
Jacob Oppett, Liquid Painting owner, said earlier this month that his work crews were using their own paint for these jobs.
Oppett said he did the job on the Cornerhouse Restaurant and Downtown Hotel at approximately a 20-percent discount.
Also as part of the project, a new awning was installed at Bella Italia restaurant on May 1, and the Wegner Building, location of The Gateway tavern, and Old Elwha Theater, location of Blue Dolphin, have been pressure-washed and will be painted.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
