Boca Grande prepares to move forward on 30 million dollar revitalization project

SOURCE: RIPON COLLEGE DAYS
Less then two years removed from concocting Chinese food, the Republican House prepares to get Americanized, as it readies itself to be the home of the National Republican Presidents Museum. This transition is only a small part of a mass revitalization attempt of the Ripon economy headed by the Boca Grande Capital group.

After intense discussions among the citizens of Ripon, Ripon College Trustee Jim Connelly and Frank Cumberbatch, co-owners of the Boca Grande group, have been granted the financial approval to move forward on an over 30 million dollar project that aims toward a July 2012 completion. Boca Grande expects to renovate more than 25 buildings throughout Ripon.

"The redevelopment of our downtown is a major investment, the likes of which we have not seen in many generations," says Mayor of Ripon Aaron Kramer.

One of the signature projects being spearheaded by Boca Grande is the transforming of the Republican House to a presidential museum. The location is ideal, as it is directly to the left of the Little White Schoolhouse, which is the birthplace of the Republican Party.

"The National Republican Presidents Museum would be a great place for history students or any students for that matter to study about our past Republican presidents and understanding our political structure and history as well," says Cumberbatch.

Tentatively the museum would contain artifacts, audio, visual, and will be in collaboration with presidents' libraries to get documents on loan. While it will be a great place for history students to learn, it has potential to reach a much larger market.

"The museum has a potential to draw people from all over the United States and the world," says Kramer. "If it is done right and if it is done in a manner which attracts not just one segment of the population but the entire segment of the population [it would be a major draw for Ripon]."

The museum is only one of the more than 25 buildings that will see renovation. With so many changes to come, the legitimate concern is raised about the potential loss of cultural history in Ripon.

"We have no intention of changing this community, we don't want it to be something it's not," says Cumberbatch. "When you look at the outside of this building (former Mansion on Main) it looks no different than it did back then. This city has great culture and tradition in these buildings and we are going to try our best at maintaining that."

These renovations will come with minimal loss of cultural history as all but one building will remain intact. The only building that will be demolished in the revitalization of Ripon is the Mapes Apartment building on the corner of Blossom and Watson St.

The building was deemed unsafe due to structural reasons. Going to be built in its place is the other marquee project and that is the luxurious Ripon Inn and Spa, a project which will cost approximately 15 million dollars.

"The Ripon Inn and Spa would be really good for students' parents and alumni to stay as it is very close to the college," says Cumberbatch.

As the plans are drawn up right now, the construction of the inn and spa will also mark the end of a segment of Blossom Street. The area of Blossom St. which will likely be removed is between Ransom and Watson St. Ripon is not new to the discussion of removing roads, as just one year ago there was intense debate on whether to take out the road running through the campus.

"In terms of a transitional area between the college and the downtown, if it is done right and all indications are that it will be done right, it becomes sort of a gateway, a conduit from the campus to the downtown," says Kramer. "It will be done with aesthetic improvements. [The removal of the road] will be something that people will just have to get used to."

Boca Grande also has numerous other projects planned for the City of Ripon. One such project is a themed restaurant called Norman's. This restaurant is an enterprise with a Norman Rockwell theme and will employ a place for parents to send their kids off to following ordering. The youngsters who are sent away from their parents will be watched by students of Ripon College.

"In that restaurant there will be a direct positive impact on college students as we are going to hire them to supervise young children, while their parents or guardians are having quiet conversations as they await their food," says Cumberbatch.

Other notable projects include doubling the size of Roadhouse Pizza, a larger kitchen for Dos Gringos, and a steakhouse named McGuires, which would serve made-in-house brews.

Overall, Cumberbatch believes that construction will require over 400 workers, while the new businesses in Ripon will require the employment of an additional 100 full time workers.

Despite the advantages, not all citizens of Ripon have expressed a desire to move forward.

Recent listening sessions indicate that at least a small percentage of Ripon residents question the value of the projects and Ripon's substantial investment.

Of the 30 million dollars, over 8 million will come from the city of Ripon in the form of grants and loans.

However, it is clear that many in the business community wish to see the projects move forward to revitalize a downtown that has seen limited recent investment.

"These improvements will generate more activity and interest, making people want to come to downtown Ripon," says Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Paula Price. "In small communities downtowns are kind of like the focal point of activity and if the downtown area is vital it spreads out to the rest of the community. It is important to have good active, strong businesses in the area."


Making change. The transformation of the Republican House to a presidential museum is one of the numerous projects that will be headed up by Boca Grande, LLC.


Media Credit: Jonathan Bailey
Adios. The building on the corner of Watson and Blossom, as well as the street leading up to Todd Wehr, will likely be demolished in the coming years. An inn and spa will liven up the area.