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'Cool' Medford gets warm reception Fred Robinson walks through the second floor of the Bricktowne building in downtown Medford Friday afternoon. [Mail Tribune / Andy Atkinson] Friday Aug 25, 2017 at 4:36 PM Aug 25, 2017 at 5:33 PM Damian Mann Mail Tribune @reporterdm For decades, Fred Robinson has tried to do something with the second story of his building at Central Avenue and Eighth Street that houses Bricktowne Brewing Co. "We've been waiting to do apartments up there for 30 years," said the 68-year-old Robinson. The sprawling building, more than 100 years old, was formerly a hotel and then a boarding house that featured knotted ropes for use as fire escapes. The city ultimately forced Robinson to close the upper story because of various code issues. Now, in an effort to make downtown Medford "cool" by adding more housing, the city has appealed to Robinson and other property owners by offering to apply for a $4 million federal grant to seismically retrofit one old building. So far, the city has received a warm reception from the property owners — 16 responses leading up to a deadline of Aug. 31. "Anything to increase the cool factor in the downtown, we're willing to do," Councilor Kim Wallan said. The city sent the Aug. 11 letter to dozens of property owners explaining how Medford could apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency dollars for a seismic retrofit project. The grants would pay 75 percent of the cost of the retrofit, up to $4 million. With so many responses and a limited application period, the city will have to choose just one project this year, but is eyeing more next year. Wallan said the city is primarily looking at properties that have a second story that could be converted into housing if they were retrofitted. "My big push is for market-rate housing," she said. The grant application is just one step in a long-range goal to get more housing as a way to improve the downtown. Sam Barnum, city building director, said he's hoping that the seismic retrofit effort paves the way for four or five grant applications next year to retrofit more downtown buildings. "We want to get one pilot project off the ground and see if it works," he said. "Getting more housing would be a bonus." Kelly Madding, deputy city manager, said the city only recently discovered the money was available. Based on the responses so far, Madding said, "It really does show the need and the desire from people who want to do something with their buildings." Many of the downtown structures haven't used the second stories for housing, though there are several that do. Buildings that may qualify for the retrofit are often considered historic, and the high cost to upgrade has been a deterrent for owners. Robinson said he'd like to offer 20 to 30 affordable to middle-income units on the second floor of his unreinforced masonry building, which still has bed frames that date back 75 years or more. The upstairs is like stepping into Medford's past, with long hallways that are like staring into a house of mirrors. At the top of the stairs leading to the second story, there is a large lobby area with a counter where people rented out rooms. Old wallpaper and peeling paint are a testament to how long the upstairs has remained empty.  "There's no electricity or anything," Robinson said. A shared shower area is located at the north end of the building, though some of the better rooms had sinks. He said it's difficult to peg the age of the building, noting it was built in sections with most of the second story added at a later time. If Robinson was able to get the money to retrofit, he said he'd still have to invest quite a bit to upgrade the upstairs. He said he's gotten assurances the city will work with him. "But I'll have to get that in writing," he said. — Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm.