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Revitalization in Talent By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune TALENT — It's often said that Talent has benefited from its proximity to Ashland. After they were driven out of Southern Oregon's cultural Mecca by high prices, many of the people who now reside or invest in Talent share many of their neighboring city's ideals. Count Marc and Roanna Rosewood among those who see the possibilities of transforming a town that hasn't had its own high school since 1959 into something more than a bedroom community of 6,300 people. The Rosewoods moved to the Rogue Valley from Florida eight years ago and opened Pangea, a grill and wraps cafe, next to Bloomsbury Books in Ashland. Although they live in Ashland, they had previously bought a home in Talent in 1999. "When Talent lifted the water moratorium in 2002 things changed drastically," Roanna Rosewood said, referring to former limits to the city's water supply that forced a suspension of building privileges in the town. "The population has grown faster, but there's not enough places for people to go. It has the people interested in a place to work and places to go after dinner and listen to music. There is tons of traffic and enough people who want services and go window shopping; but the business isn't there yet." Advertisement The Rosewoods recently bought five shop fronts and a pair of rental units at the corner of Valley View Road and Talent Avenue. Their vision isn't simply to restore the charm of the structures, some of which date back to the 1920s, but to be part of the Talent of the 21st century. They closed a $529,000 deal with former owners Chuck and Linda Butler on April 20. "It's hard not to see the spot," Rosewood said. "When you drive through town, you go 'yeech.' It had been for sale for a long time. I imagine each building individually with its own personality, but the way it's been set up it looks like a strip mall. These older buildings are special. They have stories and personality which new developments just can't buy. If we embrace their uniqueness instead of trying to make them symmetrical and modern, they will really shine and be a big part of the vision for downtown Talent." Rosewood said she had met with a variety of potential tenants, including a teepee maker, a yoga teacher and an artist. In the next few days Elise and Marco Pasante will open the doors to Inti, a Latin American restaurant at 109 Talent Ave. Most recently, the 1,500-square-foot dining spot with a 670-square-foot patio was occupied by Señor Sams. A variety of other cafes, including The Old Town Bistro, Marin's, and Young's Pantry have come and gone in the past two decades. The Total Picture, a 1,000-square-foot framing studio is an established tenant, while salon Simply Sassy plans to move across the street to the area next month. Rosewood says an old barber shop, used as a workshop for years, is getting new paint and roof. The 300-square-foot area will house a retail or office tenant. A vacant 600-square-foot unit will rent for $650 a month. Talent Urban Renewal is providing grants of up to $10,000 for storefront improvements and rehabilitation. Direct grants of $5,000 or matching grants of up to $10,000. "It doesn't cover routine maintenance," said Marla Cates, executive director of Talent's urban renewal agency. "We want to spruce things up and help people do more than they ordinarily would've done with improved signage and paint combinations as an architectural feature." That's a long-term plus for the Rosewoods. "Having no experience with development, we are truly grateful, not just for the funds the grant program provides but also for the planning and support," Marc Rosewood said. "We are so excited to be a part of the growth here in Talent." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Advertisements Advertisement