By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

Red pencil in hand, Gina Martinez drew her dream renovation plans on a photo of her Old Orchard Beach bar.

Now, months of paperwork, a professional architect and a grant approval later, she watches her sketch become a reality.

Mr. Goodbar, the bar owned by Martinez and her husband, John, is one of 10 downtown properties receiving a facelift thanks to façade improvement grants awarded to fix “blighted” buildings. The town council in 2005 declared the entire downtown blighted to make it eligible for the grants. The designation lasts for 10 years, according to Assistant Town Planner Jessica Wagner.

Wagner said Old Orchard Beach received $150,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to improve downtown streetscapes. Grant money is administered through the Maine Office of Community Development.

The program is designed to stimulate revitalization of the downtown area by improving its physical appearance, Wagner said. Improvements for most buildings will be wrapped up before the summer tourist season begins.

Wagner said the town received the maximum grant award, making it possible for a volunteer committee to award grants of $3,000 to $20,000 to 10 applicants.  Nineteen people submitted applications for the program last year, she said.

The town requires grant recipients to match their award total, though Wagner said many people are investing more. Grant recipients were allocated money to work with a professional architect on their plans.

Wagner said improving the aesthetics of downtown is equally important as improving economics. Many of the projects are designed to improve foot traffic and draw new customers into businesses, she said.

Improvement plans range from replacing signs and windows to drastically changing the appearance of the building, Wagner said. At Libby Memorial Library, $3,000 in grant money will help fund painting and repairs to molding and window trim. Seabreeze Motel owner King Weinstein will use a $15,000 grant to change the roofline, renovate second story decks, replace siding and add architectural details.

Wagner said she is excited for renovations to 8 West Grand Ave., which houses Big Licks and Bernie’s Beach Club. Building owner Rob Langlois was awarded the maximum $20,000 to build a new roofline, renovate a deck and add more street-level windows. Once completed, the deck will extend further on the property to attract people walking in the area, she said.

“This is a huge project and will be an enormous improvement in the downtown,” Wagner said.

The grant program also afforded George Kerr the opportunity to improve 6 and 8 East Grand Ave. Mr. Goodbar, the entertainment venue owned by Gina and John Martinez, is at 6 East Grand Ave. and The Oasis is next door.

“That was the most exciting because we have two buildings right next door. They were designed together to complement each other,” Wagner said.

Plans for Kerr’s properties include adding a curved overhang, large windows and sidewalk-level seating to The Oasis building. Next door, porthole windows at Mr. Goodbar will be replaced with larger, sound-insulating windows. A black fabric awning will replace a faded teal awning left by a previous tenant.

Gina Martinez said she is looking forward to saying goodbye to the “dated storefront” that has garnered little positive feedback. She said customers told her the outside of the building looked “seedy” and people often could not tell if the bar was open.

Martinez said she and her husband have invested $70,000 inside the bar, creating a space popular with people in their 30s who enjoy live music and comedy. She said she hopes large storefront windows will be more inviting for customers who are more likely to patronize a business they can see into first.
  “I’m really, really hoping it improves foot traffic,” she said.

At Beach Bagels on Old Orchard Street, owner Guy Loranger hopes new double-pane windows will save money on energy bills and keep customers warm throughout the year. One of the few businesses open year-round, Beach Bagels received $5,000 to replace windows and signs, add a door and build new stairs.

Loranger said work to his building is nearly complete. He expects new stairs and railings at the side entrance to be done in about a month and the new awning in place by mid-April.

“People seem to love it. We’ve had nothing but positive news,” he said. “I think it’s great for the town. People are spending their money and the town’s money well.”

Wagner said she has heard from many business and property owners who are interested in the grant program, as well as contractors who are ready to work. Bids are still being accepted for some upcoming construction projects.

“When one building on the street looks good, it stands out as the beautiful one. As they fall into the minority, people want to improve their buildings,” Wagner said. “It’s just raising the bar in Old Orchard Beach. It’s good, it’s really good.”

For more information about submitting bids on upcoming projects, contact Wagner at 934-5714, ext. 238, or jwagner@oobmaine.com.

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.