(Photo: Ethos Music)
What could be more fitting for a Portland community center than a combination of music, arts, food, kids, and bicycles? All those things are wrapped up in a new proposal to take over the lease on a former fire station that has been occupied by the non-profit Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) since 1988.
When the current tenants announced earlier this month that they’d run out of money and would have to close their doors on May 1st, the City of Portland (who owns the lease on the building) began the process of looking for new tenants. Ethos Music founder (and former candidate for city council) Charles Lewis was the first big name to put his hat in the ring.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Now, Lewis has teamed up with local author and non-profit leader Joe “Metal Cowboy” Kurmaskie and former Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) staffer Angela Koch. The trio have combined all their ideas for the space into one proposal that promises to offer a bike-themed kids cafe, an arts incubator, and a kids camp all-in-one.
Kurmaskie hopes to find a home for his non-profit, Camp Creative, that combines a kids summer camp with active outdoor activities and creative arts. Koch, who owned and operated Peanut Butter and Ellies cafe in northeast Portland before taking a job as Operations Director at the BTA, plans to open a new, bike-themed eatery called, Pop-a-Wheelies. Koch has also taken the Kidical Mass event with her from the BTA and would base the ride out of the new location.
Kurmaskie wants to find a home for his Camp Creative and One Million Bicycles projects.
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Angela Koch wants to open a small cafe and offer a culinary arts program for kids.
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Kurmaskie planned on submitting a proposal for the Firehouse, but when he learned that Charles Lewis was also putting in a proposal he decided that instead of competing against each other, the two should partner up. “I’ve got no ego wrapped up in my projects, I just want to reach more people. I also have known Charles from working with him on his campaign and figured our projects were complementary.”
As part of the proposal, Lewis has decided to make Kurmaskie’s Camp Creative an official project of Ethos as well as folding in Koch’s plans for a cafe/food cart that would offer culinary arts programs for kids. Lewis would maintain his main location on N. Killingsworth and Williams.
Kurmaskie and Lewis have already presented the idea to the Overlook Neighborhood Association and they’re currently gathering letters of support from other neighborhoods and community members. “This is going to be awesome,” says Kurmaskie, “We’re going to combine bikes, arts and active lifestyles in a holistic way.”
The City is expected to make a decision for new Firehouse tenants next month.