The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday for the newly constructed space at Potters Terrace. Pictured, from left, are Brent Sheldon, Joe Rollman, Eddie Sundquist, Luke Fodor, Shad Griffen, Frank Besse, Josh Graham, Jason Sivak, Jeff Lehman, Crystal Surdyk and Greg Edwards. Submitted photo

The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation celebrated construction of a new space at Potters Terrace with a ribbon cutting Wednesday, featuring local leaders.

Urban Core Director Frank Besse said the project helps compliment the businesses and restaurants of downtown Jamestown.

“Downtown has great places to enjoy a show, have a delicious meal with a friend and shop for a gift for that special occasion,” he said. “We wanted to create a space that complemented those activities.”

Besse said the JRC has owned the space of Potters Terrace for many years. The space featured a wooden platform that was used for music events and other community activities over the years.

However, the organization was forced to make changes to the space after the previous wooden deck structure was deemed “not structurally sound” in 2019.

“We had to put a fence up and go to the drawing board on what would be appropriate to remediate the issue,” he said.

The JRC contracted with Jim Rauh Enterprises to remove the wooden platform and fill in the hole to bring it up to “grade area.” After that was completed, the JRC contracted with Joe Rollman of Leaf and Stone Landscape Architecture to develop a new vision for the space that could provide the community with what Besse described as “an in between space.” The JRC also worked with Sivak Stonemasonry to work on the construction of the project.

The JRC’s goal was to create a space that people could utilize for multiple purposes but that would encourage a sense of connection and community. Besse said the opportunity was important because the downtown region always needs more community-centered spaces.

The planning process for the new outdoor space began in 2020. The JRC had to consult with engineers to make sure that filling in the whole and making renovations would not “knock down” the foundation of the building next to the terrace.

While the planning process of Potters Terrace began in 2020, Besse said the actual construction process did not take long.

“The construction of the park started in June,” he said. “A lot of the main construction work has been done for about a month, and then it’s just been the finishing touches.”

Although the exact cost for the project has not yet been determined, Besse said the total cost of the work on Potters Terrace was around $200,000. As with other JRC projects, the financing for the project was funded by the Gebbit Foundation.

Besse said collaboration with the city administration and the Gebbi Foundation was key to this project.

“We have a great relationship with city hall and a great relationship with the Gebbi Foundation. City Hall was great to work with on helping us understand the appropriate steps and getting the appropriate people in at the right time to chime in. We’re not doing this in a silo. We’re talking to all of the stakeholders that we can to make sure that something works for everybody.”

The Potters Terrace project aligns with several parts of JRC’s mission of developing a vibrant downtown. First, Besse said that since the JRC owns the property, it was important to invest in the property and be a “good steward” of the location. Besse said the project also aligns with the JRC’s goal of creating a walkable downtown area.

“If someone is walking from one end of Third Street to the other, the fact that there’s not just chain-link fence up but inviting spaces that are well lit, that makes it feel more inviting and safer,” he said.

A third was the project aligns with the mission of the JRC is that improves the quality of life for local residents. By providing a space that allows for community interaction and offers something enjoyable rather than an empty space, Besse believes Potters Terrace can improve people’s daily routines.

“It kind of checks off a lot of different boxes for us,” he said, “and that was what’s good about this project is it’s not just something that hits one area of what we do.”

Ultimately, Besse believes the project achieves the JRC’s goal of revitalizing the city’s neighborhoods and landscapes through “strong public-private partnerships.”

So far, the response to the newly designed space at Potters Terrace has been met with positive feedback from the community. As the project neared completion, Besse said people expressed excitement and interest into the new community space.

“People are excited to see something beautiful being built, something that complements downtown,” he said. “That’s been great to see because we want to make these investments that benefit the entire community.”

The JRC had also hoped to have updates completed on Potters Gallery prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony. While the updates have not yet been completed, Besse said the beautification project should be taking shape in the coming weeks, depending on the availability of the contractor.