In Case you didnt see the Fulton County Democrat-- here is the story they wrote about Farmington... Farmington pride rebuilds downtown Farmington Betterment Association member Dan Giagnoni works on removing paint from the face of one of the buildings purchased by the FBA to house an upscale restaurant called Crave. Giagnoni has participated in much of the downtown restorations and said it was hard work but the end result would be beautiful and worth the effort. By JESSICA DICKINSON Published: Monday, August 4, 2014 5:31 PM CDT Farmington residents are sick, and the disease is a resurgence in town pride. Bank of Farmington President Joe Higgs and the Farmington Betterment Association (FBA) have purchased seven buildings in the downtown and have been restoring them to their original condition to rent to local businesses. The Local Response Most of the restorations have been undertaken by local contractors. Advertisement Higgs said the work had progressed quickly and the results were very professional. Retired school teacher Dave Giagnoni has devoted much of his spare time and skills to helping with the refacing project as well. “Farmington is our hometown, and we’re going to make it as it was in it’s heyday. This is almost like a good disease that everyone has been catching,” Giagnoni said. Businesses Responding Finding businesses to fill the buildings hasn’t been difficult. The two FBA buildings are going to house an upscale restaurant called Crave and Star Metal Art. Two of the former Melgreens buildings will be rented by Snips, an established salon in the downtown looking to expand. The final three Melgreens buildings house (a car restoration business get name on Monday), Forever Me Photography and MTZ Fitness. “Once the Betterment Society started on the two buildings, it’s become contagious for the rest of the project to lift off. It’s really started to show its face this year. We had a lot of meetings over the winter, and this summer has shown the tangible results,” Higgs said. Owner of Smither’s Upholstery Dan Smithers jumped on the chance to expand his business by buying two vacant buildings across the street. The Problem FBA member Tony Rolando said the inspiration behind the project came after a visit from state historic architect Anthony Rabano two years ago. Rabano informed Rolando and other members of the Historical Society that Farmington had one of the most complete downtown districts in the state. Rabano also said the buildings were in deplorable condition and unless steps were taken to restore them soon, Farmington risked losing their downtown completely. The Solution Several conversations later FBA members Higgs and Rolando, Diana Toohill, Dave Giagnoni, Leslye Smith and Dan Kiesewetter decided to purchase two of the buildings to renovate and rent to local business owners. “We all pledged to do this for the good of the town, not to make money. Any revenue we generate goes back into the buildings, so if we lose out, we lose out. We’re all just dedicated to preserving those buildings,” Rolando said. Higgs and the Bank of Farmington further contributed to the effort. After their retirement, John Higgs and Higg’s uncle Ralph Melgreen agreed to sell the five buildings that encompassed Melgreen Farmington store and warehouses to the bank, to rent to local businesses. The Financing “None of this would have been possible without Joe Higgs. The Bank of Farmington has been paying for a lot of this,” Rolando said. Higgs said the Bank donated $30,000 to the FBA to start renovations their buildings. To encourage businesses to invest in updating their buildings, the bank has provided a low interest financing program. To bring in new buyers, the loan extends into the purchase of a new building and the renovations that would come with it. Additionally, the City Council formed a TIF district in May of this year. Though funds from the district will not be available until next year, the downtown offers a plethora of TIF eligible projects that Higgs said would hold until then. The Future There are still four buildings for purchase and the FBA is eager to see retail businesses show interest. The end goal of the project is to keep retail and service business local and revitalize the Farmington economy. Higgs said next year the FBA and the Bank of Farmington would have their eye on expanding development past the downtown.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 01:48:28 +0000
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