(Derm Health anticipates that exterior renovations will be completed next month | Rendering courtesy of Dermatology Health Specialists)
“We pretty much re-did everything on the exterior, from replacing all the siding and all the windows, to repainting the entire building, and putting on a new roof,” said Tammy Wisco, who oversaw remodeling efforts at the former dental office on Third St. that became the newest location of Dermatology Health Specialists (Derm Health).
A civil engineer and land-use planner who previously worked as a consultant to the City of La Pine, Wisco explained that she and her husband, Dr. Oliver Wisco (who founded Derm Health to provide advanced and personalized dermatologic care in medical dermatology, skin cancer treatment and prevention, Mohs surgery and aesthetics), chose the town “to expand the reach of our services to underserved communities.”
Familiar with La Pine’s Storefront Improvement Program, which is based on the premise that a key component of business success is the customers’ first impression — or what they see from outside the building — Wisco applied for, and received, a $20k matching grant on behalf of Derm Health.
“This entailed putting our skin in the game, and helped make our decision to open a La Pine office much easier,” she said. “And rather than just prettying up the building, we were able to do a lot more by taking advantage of the grant opportunity. It was a real clincher.”
Although the project is taking longer than initially anticipated, with completion now estimated by the end of August “we just need to roll with it,” emphasized Wisco. “This is not a short-term project — we’re invested in the community, and will be here for a long time.”
Projects eligible for the Storefront Improvement Program include: masonry cleaning; work on cornices, gutters, and downspouts; exterior siding repair or replacement; exterior painting, along with other upgrades; accessibility improvement; repair, removal, or installation of canopies or awnings; window repair or replacement; hardware and/or mounting material for blade signs, monument signs and wall signs; structural upgrades; and architectural fees.
Wisco reiterated that “we wouldn’t have undertaken such extensive renovations without the Storefront Improvement Program grant, and really hope other businesses take advantage of it.”
