The Perry-Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting Thursday morning, showcasing the Nudgers’ last available commercial space at 1316 Second St. in downtown Perry almost one year to the day after holding an open house for the building’s first commercial tenants.
“When you consider the condition this place was in when the Nudgers bought it, what you see today is almost a miracle,” said master woodworker Joe Warnock of rural Perry, who had a large hand in the building’s restoration. He described the collapsing roof, bowing walls and rotting floors and stairways of the century-old structure.
Financing the $1.5 million restoration was accomplished partly by qualifying for state and federal tax credits for historical restoration, according to Nudger Cindy Sohn. The balance of repair funds was secured through arrangements with Great Western Bank in Perry, with the city of Perry providing a backstop surety for the loan on the strength of its own borrowing capacity.
“The city is heart and soul behind this project of the Nudgers,” said Perry Mayor Jay Pattee. “They’ve done a lot of good work in the downtown area already, and we hope to see a lot more in the future.”
Nudgers Cheri Scheib and Sandy Grubbs welcomed visitors to the ribbon cutting with fresh donuts and coffee from River Valley Catering and the Perry Perk coffeehouse.
