Thanks to a regular, Bumpy’s Tavern in Puyallup got a facelift. Here’s what’s new
A well-known and well-loved watering hole in Puyallup received a facelift this summer with the help of the local main street association.
The exterior of Bumpy’s Tavern at 116 E. Main Ave. got a fresh coat of black paint in May. Owner Heather Gelston said one of their regulars told her about the Puyallup Main Street Association’s grant program that helps local businesses get a “facelift,” she said.
“All you had to do was apply for it,” Gelston said. “I got a bid from a local painter and then I submitted it through the Main Street, and they covered half of it.”
The painter removed the chipping paint that used to cover the dive bar’s exterior wall. It has been about 12 years since the wall received a paint job, Gelston said. Giving the wall a fresh coat was a project she has been wanting to happen.
It cost about $6,000 to get the job done – the PMSA paid for half, Gelston said.
“We really needed it,” Gelston said.
PMSA Executive Director Kerry Yanasak said the facade improvement grant program helps downtown businesses undergo exterior improvements such as a new paint job by paying a portion of the total cost to do so.
The funds in the grant program are pulled from the business and occupation taxes collected – about 80 percent of what’s collected goes to the grant program. About $72,000 was allocated to the grant program this year, Yanasak said.
Some of those funds supported a mural this year on the side of Charlie’s Restaurant and Lounge. The PMSA also used $11,000 to pressure wash sidewalks in the city and $5,000 to clean up graffiti downtown.
This story was originally published July 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
