<p>Debbie Pedro (right), Urban Renewal District Advisory Committee member, talks with Hermiston resident Ken May at the urban renewal public open house on Thursday. </p>

Thursday was the capstone in a series of public presentations for Hermistons urban renewal district planning advisory committee, or URD-PAC. After visiting with local groups such as the Kiwanas and Rotary clubs, the group set up in a breezeway along Main Street to chat with residents.

What people seemed to be concerned about most is how were planning to bring business to downtown, city planner Clint Spencer said Thursday.

The projects include a facade grant program for downtown businesses, a common event space and parking improvements. URD-PAC members said the hope is that the downtown improvements have a domino effect, filling buildings by creating a more appealing downtown.

What we wanted to do was to create a downtown environment, Spencer said. These project are intended to get people to get out and walk for a while.

Most of the people who stopped by the breezeway Thursday knew about the projects, but Eastern Oregon Telecom CEO Joseph Franell took his first look that afternoon. He said he was impressed with the projects and budgeting.

The facade grant sounds like a great program for businesses, Franell said. Thats what Im most excited about. It would be nice to have buildings like in downtown Walla Walla, with a historic look to them.

Urban renewal districts like Hermistons freeze tax revenues from other districts for the next 20 years. The extra revenue goes toward revitalizing the urban renewal district. Hermistons downtown renewal estimated to bring in over $4 million in the next 20 years, with the projects costing about $2.5 million.

When Hermiston first formed an urban renewal district for its downtown, Spencer feared the public wouldnt understand that it would not increase taxes. But as URD-PAC has taken its proposed projects public, taxes havent seemed to be a major concern to Hermiston residents.

People often come to the public meetings already so worked up about it that they just arent able to get it, Jerry Johnson of Johnson Reid LLC said. Johsons company has prepared the documents for urban renewal district in several different cities, including Hermiston. Ive seen that a lot in other towns. We havent had that problem here.

Contact Natalie Wheeler at nwheeler@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536.