As the re-opening of the Veterans Memorial Building inches
closer, residents now have a sharper sense of whether they can
afford to rent the facility.
With the Recreation Division’s completion of its proposed
policies for the building, including rental rates, the Hollister
City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission will discuss the
27-page draft at a meeting tonight. The Council will vote for final
approval either May 5 or May 19.
As the re-opening of the Veterans Memorial Building inches closer, residents now have a sharper sense of whether they can afford to rent the facility.
With the Recreation Division’s completion of its proposed policies for the building, including rental rates, the Hollister City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission will discuss the 27-page draft at a meeting tonight. The Council will vote for final approval either May 5 or May 19.
According to officials, the city will not profit from the building, and the proposed rental fees reflect the city’s goal of making it affordable for the public, said Robert Ornelas, recreation services manager.
“We want to make sure we have as many residents in the community taking advantage of it,” Ornelas said. “This is not a revenue generating venture. If we break even, that would be great.”
Rental fees were broken down according to available building sections. They include the main hall, dining room, main and dining room combination, meeting room and conference rooms.
The city will also charge according to four customer types: Non-profit groups will be charged the least, while commercial enterprises will be charged the most.
The Hollister Recreation Division holds responsibility for private bookings of the venue, and Ornelas and his staff played an instrumental role in drawing up rental fees.
“Basically, we did a lot of research and comparatives throughout the area. We looked at other local facilities,” said Ornelas, who mentioned similar venues in Gilroy, Salinas and Santa Cruz.
As expected, the main hall and dining room combination would be the most expensive package to rent. According to the proposal, its hourly rate would range from $125 for non-profits to $240 for commercial enterprises. Eight-hour rates would range from $500 to $1,200. And full-day rates would range from $900 to $1,900.
Gilroy’s Wheeler Center Gymnasium charges a flat rate of $171 per hour, and the Gilroy Senior Center charges $750 per eight-hour period.
City officials decided renovate the Veterans Memorial Building when ownership transferred from the county to Hollister in December 2000. The $4.4 million project began in August 2002, and a re-dedication ceremony has been scheduled for Memorial Day, May 26.
Councilman Tony Bruscia was one of four current Council members who gave the go-ahead in 2001 and agreed with Ornelas that the building’s purpose is not to bear profit.
“We want it to pay for itself,” Bruscia said. “The city is not in business to make money.”
The rates are slightly higher than those charged when the county held jurisdiction. In the past, the county assigned fixed rental fees for an entire weekend’s use. Most recently those fees ranged from $500 to $600, he said.
However, the facility has improved considerably, Ornelas said. The Recreation Division will also offer set-up and take-down services at events – duties that should allow the city to host other events on mornings following an event, he said.
“They (the county), unfortunately, did not have the resources to maximize use. It was run down,” Ornelas said.
Hourly rates for the main hall will range from $100 to $190. A full day will range from $900 to $1,520.
Renting the dining room, meeting rooms or conference rooms will cost considerably less. The dining room’s full day rates range from $200 to $400 and the conference rooms’ full-day rates range from $120 to $400.
For more information on the Veterans Memorial Building, call the Recreation Division at 636-4390.
Rental Fee Schedule
Main Hall
UserHourlyDay (8-4)Night (4-mid.)Full Day
Non-profit$100$400$500$800
Business$130$520$650$1,040
Private$160$640$700$1,280
Commercial$190$760$850$1,520
Dining Room
UserHourlyDay (8-4)Night (4-mid.)Full Day
Non-profit$25$100$125$200
Business$32$130$160$260
Private$40$160$200$320
Commercial$50$200$250$400
