The Bob Chisholm Community Center Commission started fundraising to renovate the facility’s main hall about a year ago; what they found in the process was a community of full-time residents, as well as second-homeowners, who were eager to embrace the project.

By way of that support, the commission has raised about $45,800 for its Bob Chisholm Community Center Main Hail Refresh Project. Combined with $200,000 coming from the city of Seaside — which owns the building — the amount is enough for the commission to move forward.

In the first week of May, the commission got approval from the city to meet with RESOLVE Architecture and Planning, the firm that initially designed the renovation, and start preparing the bid process to select a general contractor.

“We think we are pretty close on the money, so really the bids will tell us where exactly our budget is going to be,” said Darren Gooch, the IT and Marketing Manager for the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District, which oversees the building on behalf of the city. “If there is any remaining fundraising that needs to occur, then we’ll have a better idea of what that looks like.”

The refresh project has been a pipe dream for numerous years. The most recent effort to accomplish the renovation was set in motion in mid-2015 when the commission, which is tasked with tracking the center’s usage, was curious about why the facility was under-utilized, member Lou Neubecker said.

“Then we all went in there and looked at it and said, ‘Because this is a 1970s design,’” he said.

Not only is the main hall of the building dated, but it also possesses remnants of its original function as a gymnasium for a church, making it an unappealing venue for private parties and special events. The commissioners decided it was time for a change. They got the ball rolling on the renovation project with the hope that, when completed, the building will be “so desirable people will be beating the door down to get in here,” Neubecker said.

Through a bid process, the city selected RESOLVE as the architecture and design firm. Architect John Flynn and designer Suenn Ho presented project plans — which included updating the lighting, flooring, wall coverings and window treatments – to Seaside City Council in August 2015.

From there, Gooch said, “It took us about six or eight months to get the fundraising machine rolling.”

In the early spring of 2016, the commission held a Taco Night to kick-off the fundraising effort and introduce the project to the public, according to commission member Kristin Tschannen. In the following months, they also presented the project at community meetings for groups such as the Seaside Chamber of Commerce, Seaside Downtown Development Association and Rotary Club of Seaside.

Most of the funds raised so far came from donations made by individuals and organizations. Pacific Power donated $5,000, which was the first big donation received from a company, Gooch said. Some businesses also have donated in-kind goods and services.

The Funland Arcade put forward $4,000 of in-kind donations for the commission’s Fascination Tournament fundraiser in March. Thirty-six teams of four participated in the tournament, but including spectators, attendance reached a couple hundred. The event included pizza, a no-host bar and additional fundraising activities, like a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses. Tschannen said she was pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of people who attended the Fascination tournament.

“I was really excited to see how the community got behind that fundraiser,” she said, adding they raised about $3,000. “At that event, it was nice to see new faces of people in the community that just heard about (the project) that wanted to come out and support it. That was neat to see some different faces of people who aren’t always volunteering or coming to stuff.”

In general, Gooch said, “it’s been interesting to see where some of these donations have come from.” Bob Chisholm’s family, between several members, has contributed about $4,000. Second homeowners from all of Oregon and out-of-state also have contributed.

One of the main objectives behind the renovation is to broaden the facility’s functions.

“Up to this point, the space has really been used as a senior center, and we’re trying to expand that identity into more of a community space,” Tschannen said.

The renovation will highlight the center’s glulam beams and tongue-and-groove ceiling, while providing much-needed improvements to the room’s acoustics and energy efficiency, according to the commission. The new color scheme will include the shade of fireman red in honor of Bob Chisholm, the building’s namesake. Overall, the atmosphere should become more memorable, warm and welcoming

“It’s a neat room with a lot of really positive feeling, but we’re taking it to the next level,” Gooch said.

The architecture firm gave an estimate for how the refresh project would cost, which helped the commission set their fundraising goal. The actual cost, however, won’t be established until the general contractor is selected, Gooch said.

He planned to meet in late May with the architects and the city’s Public Works Director Dale McDowell to discuss logistics of the bid process. Once bids are received, the commission will review them and make a recommendation for approval to City Council. Until that transpires, the project does not have a timeline set in stone, but the goal is start construction within the 2017-18 fiscal year. Part of the planning process will involve conversations on how to renovate the building “with the least impact to the programming that takes place in there,” Gooch said.