Work has begun to update the historic Wyoming Civic Center, a building that dates to 1949.
By the end of November, the Civic Center will be transformed with a reconfigured lobby, new flooring and windows, updated lighting, modern restroom facilities with a men’s room on the main floor, upgraded HVAC systems on the main floor, and new entry doors.
The work will make the building more energy efficient and bring it in line with modern demands for large gathering spaces, thereby expanding the facility’s appeal as a venue for events.
In the past year, the Civic Center also received improvements to the historic candlepin bowling lanes in the basement portion of the building that included new flooring.
As a valued and storied part of Wyoming’s history, the Civic Center was listed as a priority for improvements in the 2007 Master Plan, says City Manager Lynn Tetley. The plans to renovate the building included input from the community during public forums about proposed uses for the facility and the extent of funding the community was willing to allocate for the venture. Those forums indicated a strong desire to renovate the Civic Center in a cost-effective manner that did not include a tax increase.
The project funding includes a $137,000 Community Development Block Grant to bring the space in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The total cost of construction is $510,000, which includes roughly $28,000 in contingency funding that may not be needed. The bulk of the funding comes from allocations by City Council to the Capital Improvement Program.
“The renovation of the Civic Center will provide Wyoming with a modern gathering space that offers the conveniences needed today for hosting events,” says Tetley. “This project fulfills the mission the community envisioned for the building during our community engagement forums in 2015.”
For rental and event information call 513-821-5423, or access the Civic Center Date Request Form online at wyomingohio.gov under the Service Requests tab.
