The City of Oak Harbor and Oak Harbor Main Street will continue their partnerships for another year.
Cheryl Grehan, who took over as executive director last month, said Main Street’s goal is to promote a vibrant, historic waterfront community via economic vitality, design, organization and promotion.
Some recent examples of this work include the façade improvement program, fixing bricks of the historic building occupied by State Farm, plants along the sidewalk, hanging Christmas lights and banners, launching an incubator program for vendor spaces downtown and creating Serendipity Lane — an aesthetic connection between Pioneer Way and the waterfront.
Grehan also touted the pop-up plaza, a stage and seating area for community performances and events.
“Now people can gather together with their dogs instead of their dogs just doing their duty,” she said at a council meeting this week. “I don’t know if you remember that.”
Main Street launched new events and programs in 2024 as well as the Locable App, a free resource showing where visitors can dine, sip, shop, park and find art.
The nonprofit went $35,000 over budget last year, Grehan said, because businesses did not take advantage of the tax incentive program. Per the ongoing agreement, Oak Harbor gives a 75% tax credit to businesses that contribute to the nonprofit, which can apply to a public utility tax or business and occupation tax.
Grehan said that businesses didn’t feel confident in the economy last year, and this was also likely felt across all nonprofits.
This didn’t cause a hiccup to the council, which unanimously renewed the annual contract that hasn’t changed since 2019 — a $95,000 contribution from the city on top of the tax credit to contributing businesses.
Washington State implemented the tax credit incentive program in 2005 to encourage cities to preserve historic downtown areas by contributing to nonprofits like Main Street.
About 10 years ago, Oak Harbor bought in for the first time and has continued ever since.
“Love this program,” Councilmember Jim Woessner said. “Love what Main Street has done for our community downtown, as someone who’s been around for quite some time.”
(Photo provided) The Pop-up Plaza on Pioneer Way is one of several recent projects by Oak Harbor Main Street to preserve the historic downtown space.
