Hall renovation stalled

The future of Odessa’s Old Town Hall has been a point of concern for citizens for several years. The most recent individual to attempt action was former mayor Carl Ryan, who spent much of 2001 to 2005 working on a renovation plan for the building.

Ryan says that he became interested in the building when he was a town councilman, but that he actually began working on the project when he was Odessa’s mayor and continued after his retirement from that post, working closely with his successor, mayor Sam Braun.

In March 2001, Ryan established the “Old Town Hall Renovation Committee.” Committee members included Vicki Strang, Becky Kolterman, Jonnie & Duane Pitts, Mary and John Stein, Mayo and Larry Sayrs, and Kathy and Steve Ratkowski. The committee was also able to obtain input from Pam Kelly of the Lincoln County Economic Development Council and Sue Lani Madsen, who had experience both as an architect and grant writer.

According to documents made available to The Record, the committee met several times and had begun working on a plan that included using a salvaged elevator. They had contacted local organizations, businesses and individuals and begun to obtain promises of funding. Then the effort seemed to fade.

The idea resurfaced in 2004, when Ryan was able to obtain a $7,000 Community Development Block Grant to fund a feasibility study, which was developed by Bernardo Wills Architects PC, a Spokane-based firm. An additional amount was later obtained to fund a hazardous materials survey.

According to Ryan, he was advised by several people that it would be much less expensive to demolish the old building and erect a new one. But his interest was captured by the historical aspect of the building as it stands.

The results of the feasibility study were published in the March 31, 2005 edition of The Record. The total estimate at that time was nearly $1.2 million, compiled from five separate recommended areas: Upper level demolition ($34,914 ), upper level remodel ($354,681), main level remodel ($168,498), exterior building remodel ($270,204) and elevator stair tower addition ($344,522).

At that point, Ryan stated, progress on the plan halted. “Funding was tight,” he said, and added that it hasn’t gotten any better since that time.

When asked if the building was registered as an historic building with the state or national historic registers, Ryan said no, adding that such a designation puts restrictions on the type of renovations that can be done.

Ryan said that his vision for the building had been to restore both the main level and upper levels to a usable condition, adding that another multiple-use site would have been of benefit to the town, allowing organizations with regularly scheduled meetings to use it. He also said that his original focus had included the arts community, providing a location for groups such as the Palettes and the quilt guild to meet and hold events.

Ryan believes that the reason the project was halted was the obstacle of obtaining funding. Not only was grant funding becoming harder to obtain, but the commitment required by the community was also viewed as excessively large. Most funding available for historical renovations is based on a ratio with 1/3 of the funding being provided by the community, 1/3 being in-kind contributions and 1/3 coming from the grant source.

There was some discussion at the time about breaking the project down into several smaller ones, but, overall, Ryan said, he believed that the feasibility study was so “high-falutin’ that it became unfeasible.”