Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 21, 2006 Vic Nicolescu will sell condominiums for the new Bella Vita phases from an office in this former lumber store across the street from the project. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Restorative face lift The old Smith-Dynge Lumber Co. building in downtown Medford will house a Bella Vista sales office after fix-up By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune A former downtown lumber company building will come to life in the next month, thanks to the Bella Vita condominium project and the Medford Urban Renewal Agency. And lots of neon. Cook Development of Portland, the Medford Urban Renewal Agency and property owner Patsy Smullin recently came to an agreement to dress up the Smith-Dynge Lumber Co. building at 102 S. Fir St., a dilapidated yellow structure at the corner of Eighth and Fir streets in downtown Medford. "We’re hoping to be in by the end of March," said Vic Nicolescu, sales agent for Bella Vita. The exterior of the Smith-Dynge building is getting a restorative face lift with the help of the MURA fa�ade improvement program, which provides matching grants of up to $37,500 to property owners. Advertisement The exterior portion entails restoring the painted glass outlining the entry door, cleaning the glass block and putting neon inside it, outlining the tower in neon, including a band of neon around the top, and installing a stainless steel or aluminum entrance canopy. It’s not the whole building being renovated, but 1,000 square feet of office space inside the building. The space, to be used as an office and showroom for Bella Vita, is strategically located diagonally across the street from the mixed-use project that will consist of urban condominiums, retail and office spaces. George Kramer, historic preservation consultant who also works with MURA on their fa�ade improvement program, has been working on the Smith-Dynge building project. He said Alan R. Smith and G.T. Bud Dynge built the building in 1947, and it was a lumber company until 1973. The building has been vacant for at least 20 years, if not since 1973, said Kramer. And the entrance style was not unusual. "These kind of neonized pylons were kind of typical," said Kramer. He said the Groceteria, what is now the Southern Oregon Education Service District at 101 N. Grape St. in Medford., also had a neon-lit tower above its entrance. "It was a way of drawing attention to what is admittedly an industrial-looking thing," said Kramer. Construction of Bella Vita, three six-story buildings consisting of about 68 residential units, 55,000 square feet of office space and 19,000 square feet of commercial space, will also get under way in March, said Nicolescu. The $25 million project will horseshoe around the new Evergreen parking structure between Main and Eighth streets and Fir Street and the train tracks. The project is owned by Cook Development of Portland; the architect is MCA Architects of Portland. After disappointingly high-priced contract bids came in, the owner is taking things into his own hands. "Cook Development is going to be the general contractor," said Nicolescu. "We’ll work with as many local contractors as possible." The first phase will be built along Eighth Street. Nicolescu said the first phase, already fully reserved, should be completed in December. "(Residents) will be home for Christmas," he said. Reservations are being taken for Phase II condominiums. Phase II, fronting Fir Street with back views to a courtyard, will have 36 residential condominiums on five floors and retail space on the street level. Phase II is already 25 percent reserved. Phase III, fronting Main Street, will consist of office space with street-level retail. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail Restorative face lift ">[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 www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Debt Consolidation Generic Viagra Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Advertisement s Advertisement