DUR approves new gutters for theatre, Hardware Hank building paint

The Red Oak Downtown Urban Renewal Board approved multiple grant requests at its regular meeting Jan. 4.
Under projects seeking first round approval, DUR chairman Roger Vial shared a request from the Red Oak Grand Theatre at 410 E. Coolbaugh St. for the installation of new gutters on the rear of the building and repairs to the substructure to firmly attach the gutter.
“The new gutters will better divert water away from the theatre building. There were some comments in the initial estimate that they may find additional damage, which they did, which involved additional framing under the rubber roof and some spray foam to add more structure,” Vial said.
The total cost of the project was $6,591 with a grant request from the DUR Board for $1,647. Vial said he was simply seeking approval of eligibility.
The DUR Board granted first round approval for the Red Oak Grand Theatre’s new gutter project as presented.
Also under first round approval was 316 E. Coolbaugh St., a building owned by Ann Carder and Mark Jackson, for the cost of power washing and treating the upper level deck on the south side of the building.
“We waited until the new wood had seasoned for at least a year. They’re going to power wash the solid colored acrylic stain and scrape off the rest and apply a standard oil-based stain. That will help protect it better in the long run as well,” Jackson explained.
Cost of the project was $1,800, and the grant request was for $450. The board granted first round approval for the grant. Carder and Jackson abstained from voting.
A third grant request was another building owned by Carder and Jackson, 315 E. Reed St, to partially reimburse the cost of power washing and painting the front of the building. Cost of the project was $5,000 and the grant request was for $1,250.
“We’ll be completing that project in the spring. We were trying to get the project done before winter set in, but we didn’t make it,” Jackson commented.
First round approval was granted, with Carder and Jackson again abstaining from the voting.
The final grant request was from a Carder-Jackson owned building at 405 N. 3rd St., the Southwest Iowa Appliance building. An extensive project was planned, at a cost of $9,627, and a grant request of $2,406.
“We had a couple of inspections done, and we have an upstairs apartment that hasn’t been rented in many years,” Jackson said. “There was plaster falling down from a leak in the roof that has since been replaced, but there are missing places in the ceiling, so we had to put in a drop ceiling in the entire upstairs. We replaced the HVAC unit downstairs, replaced a window upstairs, and did some electrical work downstairs to replace the fuse boxes with breaker boxes.”
The DUR board gave first round approval for the project, with Jackson and Carder abstaining.
Lastly, final approval was granted for a project at 401 E. Reed St. owned by Bill Horner.
“The project is done, and I’m waiting for proof of payment, and I have included that information in an email to him requesting that documentation, but nothing had been received as of the Jan. 4 meeting,” Vial said.
No other action was taken at the meeting.