Fixing a Hole – Ideas abound for downtown lot

What do entertainment, Dottie West, Warren County’s bicentennial year and The Hole all have in common? Not much, but one local businessman would like to see that change.

Considering the huge success of Main Street McMinnville’s recent football tailgate party held on Court Square, Warren County Furniture owner Ed Partin would like to see The Hole finally put to good use for such events.

‘Imagine a permanent, covered, raised stage running parallel with the Paul Holder building,’ said Partin. ‘Underneath the lower end of the stage would be a good place for municipal restrooms, handicapped accessible.’

The original plans for the Downtown Economic Revitalization Project proposed making The Hole an entertainment venue. However, it was removed from the project because of funding. Since that time, several ideas have been proposed but not much has happened.

There have been several ideas in the past that haven’t gone much past the talking stage. The last idea was proposed by Parks and Recreation director Carlene Brown. She asked to install a water park and band shell, complete with restrooms, bike rack and sidewalks.

Although the water park idea is out, at least for now, the area will see a little more cleaning. City administrator David Rutherford has instructed Public Works director Bill Brock to fill in and level out the area until a final decision is made.

Once that has been achieved, the area will be turned over to the Urban Forestry Department for beautification and upkeep.

Given its location, which is surrounded by different architectural styles, Partin believes the design of the stage would be a wonderful project for high school students who could work to create a structure that would blend in with existing buildings, but would be a functional 21st century facility.

‘That design process would, of course, be coordinated through the proper channels,’ said Partin. ‘It could be named, perhaps, the Dottie West Stage. With this one project we could address the need for accessible public restrooms downtown, provide an entertainment venue for the next several generations, honor the memory of Dottie West, put an exclamation point on our bicentennial year, and dress up a vacant lot.’