Weil Arcade Fire Grant

Hillsboro Downtown Partnership (HDP) is honored and humbled to be the distributing agent of the Hillsboro Community Foundation (HCF) Community Relief Fund for Business Fire Relief to support the recovery of the businesses that were impacted by the fire at Weil Arcade. We are making our best efforts to distribute these funds in a way that meets the intentions of the collective donors until the funds are exhausted. This grant process is unprecedented in our community, in that we don’t know:

the complete impact of the fire,
the total losses, both insured and uninsured, from the fire, nor
how much money will be raised and available for distribution to victims of the fire.

We have conferred with many experts in grant administration and people who have experienced somewhat similar situations. The information that we have gathered confirms that as our Hillsboro community is unique, this effort and quick response is just as unique. HDP has determined that this process and the metrics that we are using to determine how the funding is distributed is equitable and inclusive, taking into consideration the variety of business models, levels of impact, and insurance coverage that is represented by those impacted.

GRANT OVERVIEW

Image of the fire being put out from the Weil Arcade building.

HDP commitments regarding the distribution of these funds:

HDP will request funds from HCF on behalf of the business community. The HFC Board will approve the requests and disburse funds to HDP for grantmaking. HDP will distribute all funds available to cover actual/uninsured losses related to the fires until the funds or the need for those funds are exhausted.
HDP will make every effort to ensure the application process is the least burdensome possible for the applicant.
The expectation of the HCF Board of Directors and donors to the Community Relief fund is that HDP will distribute funds equitably based on information provided from businesses through the HDP grant application.
HDP needs to assess the need of the community, so we ask for your help to fill out this application so that we can gather information.

Business applicants must agree to:

Make every effort to provide accurate information about their losses to the best of their knowledge, and if that information changes, communicate that to HDP in writing as soon as possible.
Reimburse HDP for grant funds that were subsequently covered by insurance or donations (cash or in-kind) directly to their business.
Acknowledge that the name of their business and the amount of funds granted to their business may be shared publicly.
Accept all decisions made by HDP on how to distribute the funds received from the HCF Fire Fund and will publicly support those decisions.
Understand that due to the unprecedented nature of this process, HDP may decide to amend the process to address an unanticipated concern or unexpected result or outcome.
Intend to continue business operations in the Downtown Hillsboro area.
Demonstrate their business has an active business insurance policy aptly covering property and liability in the location they occupy by the end of February 2022.

Parameters that will be considered when determining distribution of the funds:

Did the business have a loss of supplies and/or products?
Were there damages to a building their business occupied or they own?
Was there a loss of sales/income in January compared to the previous year?
Was the business required to relocate or operate remotely?
Did the business have insurance coverage?
Was there an interruption in business (days not able to operate) with direct correlation to the fire?
What is the business’s current estimated value of losses and/or damages after insurance?
What amount of donations has the business collected from the public specifically related to fire relief in 2022?
How much is the business requesting?

GRANT PROCESS – NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICANTS

If your business had a loss from the Weil Arcade Fire, follow these steps to apply:

1) Review the details listed above.

2) Download or print off the application using one of the following options.

Download a fillable PDF here.
Download a printable PDF here.
Request a printed copy for pick up or drop off by calling 503-640-6145 or emailing [email protected].

3) Complete and sign the application.

4) Return the completed application to Elisa Joy Payne at Hillsboro Downtown Partnership no later than Monday, February 7, 2022 at 2:00 pm using one of the following options.

Email it to [email protected].
Drop it off at 133 SE 2nd Avenue – the Temporium, Monday- Friday 11:00 am-5:30 pm, Saturdays 10:00 am-5:30 pm.
Call 503-640-6145 to set up another way to return it.

5) Our review panel of five will use a weighted rubric to score the applicants based on the information provided in the application and any follow-up information provided, using the parameters listed above. We have not been able to find a process that gives precedence to these efforts, so have developed one that reflects other business grants while taking into consideration the variety of impacts that the businesses have endured. Here are the panel members:

Beth Lewis (previously at Bag&Baggage and on the board of HDP),
Darell Lumaco (previous owner of Hillsboro Eye Clinic, property owner, and former City Councilor),
Brenna Fulks (Economic Development Project Manager at City of Forest Grove and former Main Street manager in Montana and K. Falls),
Molly Moore (PCC SBDC Senior Advisor),
Elisa Joy Payne (current Executive Director of Hillsboro Downtown Partnership)

6) Grant dispersal will be incremental as funds continue to come into the HFC Community Relief Fund for fire relief.

7) We will add the names of the grant recipients to this page once a round of grants has been distributed. Once all of the funds are dispersed, we will release the amount that each applicant has received from the fund.

GRANT STATUS & RECIPIENTS

UPDATE MARCH 15, 2022

We have completed a second round of fund dispersal. The total dispersed to businesses that have submitted an application for funds at this time is $135,589. We are waiting for a date when the Hillsboro Community Funds will close the earmarked fire fund collection, and at that point there will be a final distribution to qualified applicants.

Additional business that requested and received funds:

Right Now PC

UPDATE: MARCH 7, 2022

Every applicant has received a grant in the first round of dispersed funds – totaling $60,200. We have recently clarified some numbers with Hillsboro Community Foundation in regards to pledges and ensuring all funds allocated to Beinestar were determined, and our grant review committee is now in the process of determining how to best distribute the next approximately $72,000 in available funds to businesses. Our plan is to have that request into HFC for their executive committee to approve on Wednesday, March 9, and then we will distribute those funds within the week. Businesses have all been notified that they do not have to reapply to be considered for this next round of funding.

Businesses that have requested and received grant funding to date:
Andy Harrison Music
Arcade 2084
Cain Denture Centers
Canos Jewelry
Catherine Bede Gallery
Chiropractic Care Centers
Colours Art Supply
Fuzion Barbershop and Salon
Hillsboro Nutrition and Fitness
Hillsboro Pharmacy and Fountain
Impact Jui Jitsu
Kove Yoga
La Mixteca Oaxaca
Law Offices of J Curtis Edmondson

Lines Dance Academy

Lucia Isabel Collection
Piccolo Mondo Toys
Roland Salas Photography
Paralegal Solutions
Ridehalgh & Associates
Sculpture Creations
Snider’s Hill Theatre Antique Mall
Thai House
Universal Love Healing Center
The Venetian
Weichert Realtors

Nonprofits that requested and have received funds to date:
Elevate Him
Hillsboro Farmers’ Market Inc.
My Father
St. Andrew Legal Clinic
Wash Co Bikes

And one individual: Rod Diehm, for the loss of his vehicle in the related arson event at Tongue Estates.

2022 Weil Arcade Fire Relief Grant