PORT ANGELES — The newly formed Port Angeles Waterfront District is seeking to facilitate community engagement in bringing the historic downtown into a new era.
Officially formed as a 501(c)(6) earlier this year, the district hired Sam Grello, former general manager of the Wharf, as executive director in June.
“The key takeaway from the Port Angeles Waterfront District is that we are here to collaborate with other people and organizations to help facilitate actions to help better all of the waterfront district,” Grello said.
In late 2019, Mark Abshire, Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce executive director, took notice of a number of major projects taking place in downtown Port Angeles, Grello said. Additionally, there seemed to be a lack of communication between projects stakeholders, Grello added.
Among other developments were Field Arts & Events Hall, the transition from the Landing to the Wharf, the Elwha Hotel, new condos and parking garage developments, and new ownership and improvements to the Red Lion Hotel and HarborTowne Marketplace. All were in phases of development or completion.
Abshire facilitated a meeting to bring downtown property owners, project managers and neighbors together to discuss their projects, and the meeting yielded value for those who attended, Grello said.
Many were unhappy with the state of the downtown area and saw that the waterfront lacked a unified vision, Grello said.
Soon afterward, a steering committee comprised of 20 members was formed, including representatives from Port Angeles Farmers Market, the Black Ball Ferry, Clallam Transit, The City of Port Angeles, Lower Elwha Tribe, property owners and members of the community at large.
As the group continued to meet, they agreed they should widen the scope of input and participation. At that point, the group adopted the name Elevate Port Angeles and began meeting regularly, Grello said.
In 2021, they developed a vision survey and held a workshop at the Vern Burton Community Center. In total, more than 700 people responded to the survey or took part in the workshop. Results indicated an overwhelming number of stakeholders and the public agreed on a vision for a downtown that would be seen as a destination location and a gateway to adventure.
Elevate Port Angeles developed a five-year strategic action plan that year. Grello noted that a number of projects have come to fruition following the development of the plan.
The group has created regularly updated community-wide calendar at olypencalendar.com.
In response to feedback from visitors who perceived the downtown corridor as unsafe, the group solicited funds from merchants to secure a downtown police officer, Zac Moore.
Grello said police department data does not indicate a high preponderance of crimes in the district, in spite of the perceived threat to safety reported to the group.
Grello added that the district is seeking to establish its brand with a significant amount of work put into its social media presence, and it is working to uplift merchants in the neighborhood, using their platforms.
The Port Angeles Waterfront District was created as the managing body of Elevate Port Angeles, Grello said. Its establishment will allow some of the downtown’s improvement goals to gain momentum as Grello seeks state and federal funding for the district.
Additionally, Grello is pursuing Main Street status once again after it was lost during the COVID pandemic with the dissolution of the Port Angeles Downtown Association. That status will allow the district to collect Business & Occupation taxes from businesses from the state, he said.
Next year, Grello said Elevate PA will look toward its next five-year strategic action plan, which will span from 2026-31. The plan is being developed in step with the City of Port Angeles’ comprehensive plan, Grello said.
The organization is setting sights on pursuing the transformation of downtown alleys to make them more inviting, Grello said. That could mean building enclosures for trash receptacles and planning some kind of mural festival for the backs of the buildings.
The group currently is looking at other successful downtowns which have done a lot while facing similar economic challenges, Grello said.
The waterfront district recently worked with the city to find a grant to hire an urban forestry company to make a plan to clear some of the vegetation at the welcoming vista, or Haynes Park. The multi-year process will prevent bluff destabilization, Grello said.
“That was an instance where Elevate PA got all of the players together to make sure that all the laws were followed and that we were doing it in a good way that was sustainable and accomplished the thing that made the city happy,” Grello said. “Downtown residents are happy, environmentalists are happy too. We’re not just cutting down trees, we’re thinning branches and things like that.”
The waterfront district is seeking to work with property owners and business owners to access city grant funding for facade improvements. That could mean paint or new signage, Grello said.
He added that the area is full of people who have a lot of “chutzpah” for business but who may lack the knowledge of how to access certain funding options.
In the near future, the waterfront district is looking for ways to support downtown merchants in providing candy for trick-or-treating on Halloween. It also will take over decorating the downtown trees with holiday lights from the Kiwanis club.
The Port Angeles Waterfront District holds meetings on the last Monday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Mood Room at Moss, 104 W. First St. in Port Angeles.
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
