*    Old Town Pocatello like many other communities across the country is in decline and businesses are leaving or quitting altogether.  The reasons are many;  bad economy, lack of community support, better value elsewhere, etc.

    Many communities have come to realize that these problems can be fixed and a vibrant and healthy restoration is possible.  It takes getting the city officials to start using Historic Building Codes and making decisions based on what is best for the community and not just applying the latest modern codes to cover keeping their jobs.
 
    When restoring or remodeling Historic buildings other communities are using “Smart Building Codes.”  There are tons of examples of how other communities have restored and revitalized their down town historic centers.  Just google“Smart building codes” and you will find town after town that has turned their decline into a revitalization.

    The biggest problem when restoring historic buildings is the cost.  Especially when city officials insist on applying modern building codes.  We purchased the old Alliance Title Building at Main and Center Streets with the intention of turning it into an art center where there would be art galleries, artists studios, art classes, a small stage for plays and music, food and beverage service, poetry, movies, art related retail and jewelry stores.  A center for wedding receptions, private parties, fund raising, etc. all surrounded by art for sale.  All designed to bring people back downtown.  We tried being open as a retail store and gallery and couldn’t even make enough to pay the light bill.  There is so little retail shopping downtown as everyone seems to prefer going to Idaho Falls.  Even our malls are failing and emptying out.
    Our only hope of bringing and keeping people shopping downtown is to be able to offer food and beverages. After a year of love and labor and money we have been denied a beverage and restaurant license which is the key to getting people to come and stay downtown. The State and The County have approved this license. The City has denied it. Without it there is no reason to open our doors.  Food and beverages are what will keep customers on the premsses while shopping and is the bottom line when catering events.  The denial is based on the fact that the city is applying “latest modern Codes” and requiring fire sprinkler systems throughout the building,  an ADA compliant elevator and ADA restrooms.
   
    This is a Historic building built in 1904.  It is not some rundown and unsafe fire hazard.  Through the years it has been constantly up graded with new wiring, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, etc. and was certainly safe enough when it was the Alliance Title Co.  Since we need to prepare food and have beverages for sale on the premises we will be required to spend $500,000+ to bring the building up to code.  This is $500,000 we will never recover.  For $500,000 I could buy a new house for $300,000, a condo in Hawaii, and a new mercedes and forget about trying to open a business in Downtown.

    When visiting other downtown estsblisments that serve food and beverages we found that the New Thai Paradise Restaurant, Chopstick Cafe, Grecian Restaurant, Nepal Indian Cuisine, Flipside Bar, Oasis bar, Caldo Maldo Pizza, and Pasta Vino Restaurant none of these had fire sprinkler systems.  Is our building less safe?  From what I observed our building is much more open and had more fire exits than most of these.

    Our city bureaucrats who make and enforce our building codes need to wake up to the fact that no one will be able to invest in property downtown if required to bring each property up to modern codes.  A case in fact is the Itex Building at 321 West Center Street.  This building was empty and had major water damage from a roof that was let go without proper upkeep.  A local Doctor and his wife wanted to open a retail store and dance studio there. After crunching the numbers for repairs and bring the building up to Modern Codes it was way too costly and they have moved on. Others have also expressed interest in purchasing this property.  Same result. The building remains empty and is a major eye sore for Downtown.

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    A question that comes up for us and will for other potential investors is why if the city officials want every building to be brought up to Modern Codes and sprinkler systems are required did the city in it’s wisdom not install  proper sized water connections to all the buildings when they had  Main Street dug up for 2 years.  The minimum size water connection for a sprinkler system is a 4 inch diameter.  Ours is 1 1/2 diameter.  Now every building requiring sprinkler systems will have to dig up the street and sidewalk  again to install the larger water main.   Who pays the cost for this?  No one at the planning office has a plan for this.  Who planned this in the first place?  What were they thinking?  Let's dig up Main Street every time a new business comes in.  These are the same officials requiring costly and for the most part uneccesary upgrades.
    We need to have these officials open their eyes to developing a vibrant Downtown.   If they are only interested an their paycheck and retirement maybe it is time to get some new positive thinking people in office. 


A SAD NOTE:  As if things were not bad enough we have just learned Maldo Caldo Pizza on Main Street is closing and the Quilt Shop on main is closing and the building is for sale.