The building that houses Treml’s Jewelry, at 772 Main St., is undergoing the first phase of a facade and building restoration project funded by a state grant and supported by the City of Lebanon.
The building, owned by Jeff King and Duck Buddies LLC, was constructed in 1910 and still contains a majority of its original transom windows, which owner Wyatt King described as “prismatic lenses” that capture and reflect sunlight.
“It was a natural way to transform natural sunlight into interior lighting,” he explained.
The windows had been covered up for some time, and the Kings wanted to expose and renovate the transom when the timing was right, he said. It was during a conversation with City Manager Gary Marks that Wyatt determined the timing was now.
Marks explained to him that the city has a “Downtown Building Restoration Program” that funds up to 6 percent of interest on a capital loan for exterior work in Lebanon’s downtown area.
“The city has been so wonderful to work with,” Wyatt King said. “They’ve made everything real easy. They’ve offered help and accommodation at every step along the way, and made it as flexible as they could so we could work with any bank.”
After the Kings secured the loan and the City’s support, they decided to also go after a “Diamonds in the Rough” grant through the Oregon Parks and Recreation’s Heritage and Community Program.
The Kings were able to identify the City’s financial support as an in-kind contribution to match the grant, Wyatt King said. Now that they’ve researched and experienced the process of obtaining the grant, he hopes to encourage and help other building owners to follow suit.
“We’re really working on using this Treml’s transom project as a template for anybody that’s interested in revitalizing their downtown building,” King said.
The Kings have a second phase of the project they want to tackle at a later time, which includes renovating the interior ceilings so the transom windows can effectively work as a light source, he said. His plan is to try to get a grant from the Oregon Main Street Revitalization program through Lebanon Downtown Association, which offers as much as a $200,000 grant.
For more information about the City’s Downtown Building Restoration Program, contact Alysia Rodgers at (541) 258-4256.
To access Oregon Parks and Recreation grants, visit https://oprdgrants.org.
For more information about Main Street Revitalization, call Lebanon Downtown Association at (541) 619-0606, or visit https://lebanondowntownassociation.com/grants.