{"id":315,"date":"2017-05-10T01:06:54","date_gmt":"2017-05-10T01:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reports.cityofsandy.com\/economicdevelopment\/?p=315"},"modified":"2017-05-11T16:49:42","modified_gmt":"2017-05-11T16:49:42","slug":"economic-development-monthly-report-april-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reports.cityofsandy.com\/economicdevelopment\/2017\/05\/10\/economic-development-monthly-report-april-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Economic Development \u2013 Monthly Report \u2013 April 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, etc.): <\/strong><\/p>\n

La Bamba \u201cNuevo\u201d<\/u>:\u00a0 Project looks fairly close to completion.\u00a0 Exterior seems to be complete (parking lot has been resealed and restriped; streetscape improvements complete; exterior storage awaiting inspection).\u00a0 The business owner is planning to move equipment into the new location right after Mother\u2019s Day, and we are working towards final inspections during that week as well.\u00a0 Mr. Vicenttin is aiming for a grand opening event before the end of May.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Timberline Meats<\/u>:\u00a0 Work continues on this project as well.\u00a0 Exterior is getting closed to completion, both on the main building pictured here and on the stand alone garage.\u00a0 Exterior of the buildings are close to completion with the exception of landscaping and ADA requirements.\u00a0 Contractors appear to be focusing on the interior of the building now.\u00a0 Potential June opening.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sandlandia<\/u>:\u00a0 Up and running!\u00a0 We currently have three carts operating (Melt It! [mac & cheese], Crepes Plus, Alpine Sliders), and cart owners are extremely happy thus far.\u00a0 They are surpassing their most rosy estimates regarding the amount of business they were expecting, and they tell me that Sandlandia is a much preferred location to the one they left on 82nd<\/sup> Avenue in Portland because security issues are virtually non-existent in Sandy.\u00a0 The stories they tell about theft and property damage caused by the transient population at their former location are disturbing.<\/p>\n

Cart owners are also hearing fantastic reviews from their customers, and this is in line with the reviews I have been hearing as well.\u00a0 Every city staff member that has tried the carts (I\u2019ve spoken to 15+) has had positive reviews of the food — both Melt It! And Crepes Plus have received the unofficial \u201cCity of Sandy Public Works Crew Seal of Approval\u201d for their food quality.\u00a0 The only complaint I have heard is that it sometimes takes a while for food to be prepared, but this is understandable considering the unexpected amount of business they have been receiving thus far.<\/p>\n

Another unexpected benefit of carts in Sandy is workforce development.\u00a0 One of the cart owners tells me that she has hired three SHS students to work in her cart, and is training one of them right now to cook.\u00a0 She also tells me that she could use one or two more cooks, and would hire today if she found the right people.\u00a0 I gave her contract information for Travis over at AntFarm Youth Services and let her know that AFYS is a non-profit dedicated to matching youth with jobs and job training, and she seemed delighted to learn about this option.\u00a0 Travis will be contacting them this week.<\/p>\n

Finally, I did get some feedback from the cart owners stating that the rules regarding carts are a bit onerous.\u00a0 However\u2026.they actually said that this was a good thing<\/u><\/strong>, because it keeps the less professional, more fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants carts on the sidelines.\u00a0 I did suggest that perhaps the Planning & Building and Economic Development Departments sit down with them after hours a bit later in the summer to discuss cart regulations and perhaps some suggestions from the more experienced cart owners as to how we can streamline our processes without sacrificing the look and feel of Sandlandia \u2013 the owners of Melt It! and Crepes Plus agreed that this would be a good idea.<\/p>\n

Scooter\u2019s Sports Bar & Restaurant (Sandy Marketplace)<\/u>:\u00a0 This business is now open.\u00a0 It has been a little bit of a bumpy ride so far getting their processes ironed out, but this should not necessarily be unexpected with a new restaurant.\u00a0 However, the building looks fantastic inside and out, and the owners are determined.\u00a0 We look forward to a grand opening event with Mayor King soon.<\/p>\n

Sandy Shell Station<\/u>: This business is currently undergoing a fa\u00e7ade improvement project.\u00a0 A stone wrap base is being added to the building, and new siding will be added above that.\u00a0 They are also adding a gabled metal roof feature over the entrance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Project work:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n