Almost nine decades ago — 89 years ago on Oct. 19, to be exact — Clarkdale unveiled its Clark Memorial Clubhouse to the community.
On the facility’s 89th anniversary, the Clarkdale Town Council, town employees, locals and members of the planning and construction crews that oversaw recent improvements to the clubhouse gathered together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and rededication.
In 2013, Clarkdale was awarded Community Development Block Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, allowing staff to begin coordinating their efforts to upgrade portions of the clubhouse to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
According to Clarkdale-based Architecture Works Green owner Rennie Radoccia, who won the competitive bid process to design the project, the scale of the renovations was originally much larger — including plans to renovate the entire clubhouse structure.
“We did drawings for the entire building, but this grant round wouldn’t support it,” Radoccia said.
As a result, Radoccia and Mike Loven of Loven Contracting were forced to downscale slightly, leading to a renovation that includes two additions to the auditorium section of the clubhouse: A pair of ADA-compliant restrooms accessible from the lobby and a wheelchair ramp into the structure.
“It’s kind of a dance, working in these old buildings,” Radoccia said. “Once you get into it, you realize how old some of the infrastructure is …. The ADA compliance is not an easy task with a historic structure.”
The issue, Radoccia explained, is that all alterations must be approved and made consistent with period hardware. Any unplanned changes can increase the scope and cost of the project.
Levin said the collaborations between stakeholders were positive, but added that, “There’s always little nuances with buildings of this age.”
Radoccia and Clarkdale Public Works Superintendent Art Durazo agreed that the entire clubhouse will likely be renovated within the next decade.
“At least now, we have a dedicated vision,” Durazo said, adding that Radoccia’s drawings will come in handy for tackling the formidable challenge of updating an 89-year-old building to current ADA standards and more.
