The Cottonwood Civic Center in Old Town was built in the late 1930s as part of a Workers Progress Administration project. Today, almost 10 years after the end of the Great Recession, the city of Cottonwood has invested into a facelift of the space.
Currently, the building is inaccessible to the public. The space is expected to be a draw in Old Town for weddings and community events once completed.
Last summer, Cottonwood City Council approved a contract with Flagstaff-based Kinney Construction Services to begin renovations in October.
The city was awarded a Community Development Block Grant to go toward the project.The city’s CDBG award amounted to $280,153 for design and construction and $29,000 for administrative costs from the Northern Arizona Council of Governments.
According to city documents, the following unforeseen items and costs were discovered as a result of unclear historic drawings of the facility:
- Asbestos testing: $211
- Maintenance receptacles: $2,977
- End of line cleanouts: $6,792
- Duct sealing: $6,923
- Additional demo: $4,900
- Gable vents: $5,814
- Upgrading conductors and conduit: $875
- Soffit in entryway: $492
- Crawl space duct point of connection: $1,494
Because of the age of the building as well as limited information on the inner workings of the facility, the contingency fund was depleted with the need for additional items like upper wall texture, window inserts and heating.
Right now, the city is working with KCS to ensure the project stays within costs.
Kelcie Grega can be reached at 634-8551, or email kgrega@larsonnewspapers.com
