Main Street Revitalization - Len's Pharmacy - Completed 2021

This project was completed in 2021 with the help of the Oregon Main Street Network and community partners.

Len's Pharmacy provides a variety of services, including limited compounding, vaccinations, prescription refills, medical equipment, home goods and more. Learn more below!

120 E Main St, John Day, OR 97845

Phone: 541-575-0629 · Fax: 541-575-2342 · https://www.lensdrug.com/

Mon-Fri: 8:30a.m.-6p.m. Sat: 8:30a.m.- 4p.m Sun: Closed

Project History

The City of John Day was awarded a 2019 Main Street Revitalization Grant from the Oregon Main Street Network! This grant provided funding to assist with the expansion and renovation of Len's Drug in downtown John Day. The project was completed in 2021.

The Plan

Len's Pharmacy intends to expand and improve its retail space to bring more products to the John Day area. The goal is to add approximately 4,500 square feet in retail space.  This additional space will not only provide for a larger assortment of merchandise, but will also provide more spacious aisles for an enhanced shopping experience.  It will also expand the pharmacy to ensure the use of technology and to provide a more conducive workflow to increase both accuracy and speed of service.

The renovation will also align the Main Street view of the building to return to a more original format. The building was rebuilt following a fire in the 1940’s with an Art-Deco design. This project will bring the building back to this design with updated energy efficient windows, lights, insulated walls, etc. and will bring the building more into line with the buildings on the south side of Main Street. 

The total budget for this project is $646,000. The City of John Day through the Oregon Main Street Network will provide $200,000 in matching grant funds for this project. Len's Drug through Great & Marvelous Property Holding, LLC will contribute $446,000 in cash and in-kind services. 

This retail space is an anchor for the downtown community and provides much of the downtown parking during business hours. Len's Pharmacy currently employees 23 full and part-time employees.

Why is the City Investing in Main Street Revitalization?

The City adopted the John Day Comprehensive Plan in 2003 and in 2007 approved the John Day Downtown Plan as a companion to the Comprehensive Plan.

The goals of both plans included retaining and enhancing the character and quality of John Day's urban corridor as growth and development occurs. Neither plan contemplated three decades of population and socioeconomic decline becoming the status quo. As a result, the City launched a new Strategy for Growth in 2017 to begin investing more actively in our community. The Oregon Main Street Program assists with this process by providing matching grant funds to the City, which we can in turn provide to local businesses like Len's Drug to improve their properties. The City was also a recipient of a 2017 Main Street Revitalization Grant to improve the Weaver building. 

Want to Learn More?

For more information on this project, please contact City Hall.