One of the first priorities for local veterans groups when they took over management of the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Hollister was to survey a long list of necessary repair projects.
The culmination of the first phases for the recent renovation – including extensive work to the interior and courtyard area – will be on display for a ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m. before the annual 11:11 a.m. ceremony and 1:30 p.m. parade.
“It was dingy looking,” said Joe Love, American Legion Post 69 commander, referring to the building’s appearance and infrastructure after the legion and local Veterans of Foreign Wars branch took it over.
Added Mike Pulido, a past commander who helps Love run the place: “It looked like a dump.”
With the help of a city subsidy set aside for maintenance and funds raised through a steady stream of weekend bookings for the building, the veterans groups have overseen an extensive renovation, though a total amount of money spent is unclear because all of the work isn’t done yet, Love said.
Some of the work included acid washing the front steps and porch area; marbleizing some of the pillars, repainting the inside with the exception of a couple rooms still needing the work; work to the flooring, particularly damaged in the dance floor area; and an array of plumbing fixes to prevent backups and other issues caused by lacking upkeep in prior years under city management, said Janet Love, who manages the building day to day and handles bookings.
They also plan to put up rails and other deterrents for skate boarders who often use the courtyard to do tricks.
“People want a nice venue,” said Love, Joe’s wife.
She showed some of the projects on the list while contractors were busy last week re-engraving bricks with veterans’ names on them, while the veterans groups are planning to hang banners next week with names of active soldiers to show thanks to them as well.
As local veterans and officials will commemorate the upgrades Tuesday, the local organizations plan to keep up with regular maintenance, while they have plans to work on the outside of the building throughout next year.
“This old building needs to have that prestige,” Janet Love said.
