PORT ANGELES — If you think there is something different about downtown, you are correct.
The efforts of dozens of paint-splattered volunteers and a few hired professionals have transformed several buildings over the last few weeks into some of the city’s most visually appealing sights next to the mountains that shadow it.
The new coats of paint are all part of the “Our Community at Work: Painting Downtown” project that began on April 29.
The most recent work could be seen at three Lincoln Street locations Saturday.
On City Pier, 13 members of the Rotary Club of Port Angeles and two Port Angeles High School students gave the Arthur Feiro Marine Life Center a fresh coat of paint. The Rotary Club project, planned months ago, coincided with Painting Downtown project.
Harbortowne Mall
Less than a block away, between 20 and 25 staff members of Peninsula College and Olympic Medical Center were giving the Harbortowne Mall at Lincoln Street and Railroad Avenue a new color scheme of what volunteers called buttercup and a purple accent.
“The community always supports the college,” said Peninsula College President Tom Keegan while on top of one of the donated lifts. “It’s an opportunity to give back.”
Across Front Street from the Harbortowne Mall, about five volunteers, mostly employees of Winderemere Real Estate office in Port Angeles, were giving the Wenger building new coats of tan and black paint.
“I think this is wonderful,” said Steve Trubow of Freshwater Bay, who stopped to comment on the new look of the Wenger building.
“It’s great how people volunteer to fix up buildings regardless of who owns them.”
The concept of “Our Community at Work: Painting Downtown” is simple.
Volunteers, or the building owners themselves, adopt a building which they clean and usually paint in order to spruce up the look of the city, mainly downtown.
Paints, equipment and supplies are donated or provided at a discount by local stores.
If a building owner adopts their own property, they can either do the work themselves or hire a contractor.
The new paint schemes are designed by Charles Smith of Lindberg & Smith Architects and Alicia Brewin of Alicia Interiors who donate their time. Each design requires the approval of the building owner.
About 40 buildings
As of Saturday, the project consisted of about 40 buildings and storefronts and about 200 volunteers. A volunteer coordinator organizes work schedules around availability of workers and materials.
While viewing the work being done on the Harbortowne Mall on Saturday, Smith said he has completed new paint schemes on some 10 to 15 buildings, and has about six more to complete before Monday.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun,” he said.
“Everyone in the community has stepped up to the plate,” he added. “It shows what our community is really about.”
Although the work on Harbortowne Mall and the Wenger building weren’t finished Saturday, the progress was hard to miss.
“I think they’re doing a really good job,” said Vivian Bertelson, manager of The Gateway Tavern in the Wenger building.
“They put out a lot of hours.”
Volunteer Doc Reiss said it will probably take two more days to finish the Wenger building.
While reviewing their work Friday, Reiss said with a smile, “For a bunch of amateurs, I think we are doing a pretty good job.”
Whether amateur or professional, no one who wishes to help is turned down, and the volunteers can be quick to poke fun at themselves.
“I’m a paint-challenged person but I’m working it,” said Kathy Charlton, owner of Olympic Cellars, while painting window trim on the Harbortowne Mall on Saturday. Charlton was one of the organizers of the project.
Food bank meals
Realizing that painting and scraping builds quite an appetite, the Port Angeles Food Bank provided breakfast and lunch for the volunteers on Saturday.
“Everyone is helping out,” said food bank volunteer Glenn Welch. “Why not us?”
Jan Harbick, Painting Downtown co-chair, said the Cornerhouse restaurant, First Street Haven, Chestnut Cottage, and Country-Aire Natural Foods also have donated food for the volunteers.
The building housing the Cornerhouse and Downtown Hotel at the corner of Front and Laurel streets was one of the first structures to get a new coat of paint under the project.
The painting was completed by Liquid Painting about two weeks ago.
The company, which did the job at a discount, also painted the Oak Street Center last week and will begin painting the former On the Boardwalk restaurant and Budget-Rent-A-Car building this week.
After that job, the company will begin painting the EZ Pawn storefront on First Street.
Last week, volunteers also completed painting the Copies Plus location at Oak and Front streets.
As part of the project, Bella Italia restaurant and the Morse building on First Street have a new coat of paint. Bella Italia also has a new awning.
Today, the building housing First Street Haven and The Toggery, also on First Street, also will get a fresh coat of paint.
A couple of the volunteers who worked on Copies Plus also showed up at the Wenger building with paintbrushes in hand.
“I think it’s a wonderful community project,” said Jenny Bauman, 57. “So I decided to come out and help.”
Final celebration
Port Angeles Downtown Association Executive Director Barb Frederick said a final celebration for the project may be set for July 11, but the details have not been decided upon.
Frederick said the downtown association has received about $1,300 in donations for the project that have come from the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Port Angeles Buisness Association and about 20 individuals.
Supplies and equipment are donated or provided at a discount from NC Machinery, Hartnagel Building Supply, Angeles Millwork, Sunset Do it Best Hardware, Parker Paints, Swain’s General Store and Fastenal.
“We haven’t had this kind of detail in a long time,” Frederick said Friday while watching the Oak Street Center be painted.
“The way it is highlighting the architectural stuff in the buildings is just phenomenal.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
