bankbuilding

It’s been many decades since the western bay window — one of two that originally adorned the facade of the Bank Building in downtown Cottage Grove — looked out over Main Street, as historical photos can attest. Its restoration there now stands as one of the more visible achievements so far of what will amount to the complete renovation of this historic building.

The first time you look around inside, you may notice little more than its skeleton, the bones of a building that’s housed local history and the day-to-day lives of generations.

Look a little deeper, though, and the plan begins to reveal itself — a plan to bring Cottage Grove’s Bank Building back to its status as a hub of both commercial activity and stylish living downtown.

Len Blackstone has a vision for downtown. But perhaps more importantly, he has the zeal to realize it.

Blackstone — owner, general contractor and landlord of the Bank Building on the corner of Main and Sixth streets — has made the 115-year-old structure his most recent pet project.