Jessica Cejnar Andrews / Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 @ 4:20 p.m.
Crescent City Council Moves Forward on Potential Cultural Center Revamp; Project Would Bring Redwood NSP, Redwood Parks Conservancy, Chamber of Commerce Under One Roof
Crescent City staff propose to revamp the Cultural Center to become a Discovery Center for both locals and visitors. | Concept art from Abbaté Designs LLC
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Though at least one member lamented the potential loss of one of Del Norte’s few classy event venues, the Crescent City Council on Monday took another step toward transforming the Cultural Center into a Discovery Center.
This Discovery Center would bring visitor-facing services from Redwood National and State Parks, the Redwood Parks Conservancy and the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce under one roof.
Mike Abbaté, of Abbaté Designs, described keeping the 51-year-old building’s perimeter “more or less intact” while providing information, retail space and interpretive exhibits. The landscape architect, a sub-consultant working with GreenWorks Design, said the building’s mezzanine could house a giant fabricated redwood tree with a California condor or canoe hanging from the ceiling.
Abbaté also envisioned opening the building up for folks to catch a glimpse of Elk Creek and the new Tolowa trail at the rear of the structure.
“Physically there’s enough space to accommodate the needs we’re talking about, but from a structural perspective, a seismic perspective, a mechanical and electrical perspective, can this building be modified to accommodate the uses we’re talking about?” Abbaté asked Councilors rhetorically. “That brings us to the second phase of work, which is to really do the detailed technical buildings systems assessment.”
Councilors on Monday unanimously authorized Abbaté and city staff to move forward with phase 2 of the “cultural center-joint visitor center evaluation,” pledging $62,770 toward the project’s cost.
According to City Manager Eric Wier, the cost for phase 2 of the project is a not-to-exceed amount of $112,770. Redwood National and State Parks and the Redwood Parks Conservancy are each committed to contributing $25,000, he said.
The chamber of commerce may also offer a contribution, though the exact amount hasn’t been determined yet. Crescent City Mayor Blake Inscore, who is also the treasurer for the chamber’s board of directors, said he’ll urge the organization to contribute funding toward the project.
“I’m hesitant to say what number that will be, but it’s not just going to be a token amount,” Inscore said.
If the Chamber Board of Directors does approve a contribution to the Cultural Center project, the $62,770 from the city will be reduced, according to Wier.
Landscape architect Mike Abbaté envisioned an interior that allowed for views of Elk Creek and the Tolowa trail on the rear of the building as well as interpretive space inside the structure. | Concept art from Abbaté Designs LLC.
Crescent City Finance Director Linda Leaver said the city currently has $350,000 in its unallocated general fund reserve, which is where the $62,770 for the Cultural Center project would come from.
Crescent City also has $30,000 in its budget for economic development, Wier said.
The Cultural Center occupies the northeast corner of Beachfront Park, which is undergoing a massive expansion thanks to about $8 million in Prop 68 dollars the state awarded to Crescent City over the past two years.
Crescent City also received a $3 million Clean California Grant in October that allow the city to add a gateway at the S Curves near Front Street and U.S. 101. The city plans to build additional parking near the Point of Honor Veterans Monument, the Cultural Center and a plaza that leads into the Tolowa interpretive trail at Beachfront Park.
Redwood Coast Transit is using yet another grant — $7 million — to build a public transportation center. The Discovery Center will be that “key piece of connection,” Wier told Councilors.
Phase 2 of the Cultural Center evaluation will incorporate the use of an architect, structural and mechanical engineers. According to Abbaté, they will conduct a site and building assessment and create a three-dimensional model of the building “so we can think about creating a walk-through analysis.”
The second phase of the evaluation will also include creating a schematic design of the building that will outline where meeting rooms and offices would be located as well as retail and interpretive areas, Abbaté said.
“This phase of work, Phase 2, will give us a cost estimate that would be a tool the city and partners with the park service and chamber would be able to make a decision — OK, is this worth moving forward on?” He said.
Wier also said the Cultural Center evaluation project could put the city into a good position to pursue California Jobs First dollars. Formerly Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Community Economic Resiliency Fund, $9 million has been set aside in catalyst funds “for projects like this to get them shovel ready,” Wier said.
“We will be in a unique position so we can get those dollars,” he said. “That estimate, I don’t know the exact dollar amount, but it’s going to be to the tune of probably $500,000 or $600,000 to get us shovel ready and then once we’re shovel ready (there will) be funds for implementation.”
Crescent City Councilors were excited about turning a building they say is under-utilized into something that could be helpful to locals and could encourage visitors to stick around a little bit longer.
“I think that marrying this with the transit hub across the street and the revamp of Beachfront Park is going to be a key element in not just our economic development for people coming into the community, but as a resource for people who live here too,” Councilor Jason Greenough said.
But Darrin Short, chairman of the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, mentioned the man who built the Cultural Center, Leland Simonson, owner of the Simonson Lumber Mill, and said the city’s current vision for the building may not be what he and others who worked on it had in mind.
“Their intent was that the community would come together and celebrate and have events there,” Short said. “If we were to change that to where that does not happen, I think that would be a real negative connotation to the men that built that center for our community.”
Councilor Kelly Schellong said she forgot Simonson built the Cultural Center, adding that he was generous and wanted nothing best for our community.
“I do believe he would be open to a new future for that building,” she said, though she acknowledged that she didn’t want to lose one of Del Norte County’s larger event venues. “That is something we have to give up if we can move forward. It’s just part of change.”
However, Inscore pointed out that though the space may not be as large, there will be room for events at a revamped Cultural Center. He pointed out that many places preserve a big open space because they’re attractive to rent out for weddings or high school reunions.
Inscore also said that Simonson and the others who built the Cultural Center might support repurposing the building so it can be an economic driver for Crescent City.
“I believe some of our early founding fathers of this community (did) the things they did because they wanted to lift this community up,” Inscore said. “And I think that’s what we’re trying to do now.”
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