PENDLETON — On Martin Luther King Jr. Day last year, the Pendleton city staff got together to see what they could do to improve the city’s downtown area.

One of the proposals that came out of the discussion was to bring in a big game butcher, something the city has seen come and go through the years. The idea was a popular one among staff and it is finally taking shape. Pendleton’s Urban Renewal Program granted La Grande-based Hines Meat Co. a $100,000 loan last week to open a location in Pendleton.

“We wanted to attract a big game butcher,” said Pendleton City Manager and Urban Renewal Program Executive Director Robb Corbett. “We’ve lost a couple of wild game kill shop-type businesses and we reached out to Hines Meat. They had an interest in expanding to Pendleton.”

Jake and Paige Hines, owners of Hines Meat Co., had been seeking an opportunity to expand the business over the last couple of years. The Pendleton City Council reached out to them in February about expanding to Umatilla County, and after applying for the city’s Jump Start loan, the couple began making preparations to open their new shop in the secondary Pendleton Grain Growers building on Emigrant Ave.

The Jump Start program provides assistance to businesses seeking to locate, renovate or expand in Pendleton’s urban renewal district, which covers a large section of Pendleton between the Umatilla River and the railroad, and between the east and west ends of the city.

Jake Hines has run his La Grande butcher shop since June 2016, and offers on-site slaughter, custom cutting and a retail meat shop.

“The Pendleton City Council contacted us about it and we drove down, saw the property we would end up buying and were able to work it out,” Jake Hines said. “We’ve also been working with the reservation for the last couple of years, too. We still hope to do something with them eventually.”

The Jump Start loan will provide Hines Meat Co. with money to purchase equipment, such as walk-in freezers and coolers.

“La Grande people bring in their wild game, and they turn it into meat products. They’ll be doing that here, too,” said Charles Denight, associate director of the Pendleton Development Commission. “The products made (in Pendleton) will also be sold in La Grande and the products made in La Grande will be sold in Pendleton.”

Jake Hines says he will transfer two managers down to the Pendleton store once it is ready to open, and will be hiring seven new Pendleton-area employees. With construction underway, the Pendleton branch was projected to open in July, but the recent COVID-19 outbreak could force a delay. Denight said the company is trying to be open and ready for business by the time the 2020 Pendleton Round-Up kicks off.

“I’m always pushing for sooner and sooner,” Jake Hines said. “We’re not sure how long this is going to last, but we’re definitely not taking it lightly. We’re playing things by ear. We’re really excited, but we’re also really nervous. It’s a big leap for us. We’re very excited to move in that direction.”