Member Spotlight- City of McPherson/Community Building
Construction has begun at the McPherson Community Building and it is going to be incredible! After months of discussion and planning, the City of McPherson contracted with GLMV architect firm and Hutton Construction to renovate the Community Building. Mike Seiwert, from GLMV Architecture and Lead Architect on the project team shared floor plans of past, present and future. The initial work began with the removal of the 1970’s exterior metal and corners to showcase the historic value so it could be considered for the State Historic Register and National Historic Register. A very important designation and quite significant in being eligible to apply for tax-credits too. Find out all kinds of neat to know history, pictures and details on this McPherson Community Building NHR form.
The McPherson Community Building was built in 1927 and is well known as a community gathering place and as the homecourt to the McPherson Globe Refiners basketball team. The homecourt will be restored to its memorable origins with a wood floor, exposed wood and beam ceiling, mezzanine on three sides with the original seats, and the metal sash windows on the East side will retain their original structure. The team is restoring the original look while enhancing the court to make it more usable for basketball and volleyball, adding storm windows and an elevator in the lobby to access the mezzanine. The Globe Refiners memorabilia will be proudly displayed on the second floor of the lobby.
The transformation of the Community Building will also include converting the theatre into a more usable multi-purpose room with a flat floor. Christy Wendler, interior designer for GLMV Architecture, shared the design plans to accommodate 200 with round table seating to 300 with lecture style seating, plus several break-out or meeting rooms upstairs. The multi-purpose room will retain the exposed ceiling beams, the original light fixtures and the floor will be finished in a tile that looks like marble from that period. Eric Duerksen, project manager from Hutton shared work-in-progress photos and introduced the project team from Hutton Construction and GLMV Architecture. According to Duerksen, the theatre pit is being filled with sand and foam and the former stage area will be converted to an industrial kitchen. New bathrooms will be added and can be accessed from the court or multi-purpose room. The project team is making many fantastic upgrades, but don’t worry, the historical grandeur of the lobby and wood staircases will take you back in time. This exciting masterpiece in-the-making is preserving the historical structures and creating a space for the community to enjoy long into the future.
More information about the McPherson Community Building can be found on the City of McPherson’s website or contact the City of McPherson at 620-245-2535.