EC Civic Center tour next stage in work planning
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

Changes Coming To Civic Center Soon The El Campo Civic Center is scheduled to be closed to the public from August to October to allow for renovation work inside. Among the planned changes are more bathrooms for women, more doors throughout the center and a change to the lobby area. Early debate included a change to the center's facade, but it is unknown it that will take place. City Council will tour the facility Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. L-N File Photo

El Campo City Council will be walking the hallways and rooms of the Civic Center Tuesday night discussing proposed renovations there.

The workshop session will start at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Council's regularly scheduled meeting will be delayed until 7:30 p.m., but will be held in chambers, 315 E. Jackson (please see related story).

Last year, City Council allocated $1 million to repairs at the El Campo Civic Center, a building which was first constructed in 1979 as a K-Mart Shopping Center.

Although the rooms were redone in 1989 when the city converted the defunct business into an event and meeting facility for the town, the roof and much of the air-conditioning system is original. Both are in a poor state at this point.

In addition to the roof and cooling systems, Council is considering several efforts to perk up the appearance and usefulness of the facility.

All work would have to be done August-through-October of this year when the building will close to the public.

In the proposal is the elimination of Meeting Room C in favor of additional women's restroom stalls near the front of the building. Council is still debating whether other restrooms need a facelift or if a "family" restroom should be added.

Current drawings also call for a redesign of the entrance creating of a vestibule - an enclosed area between the outer doors and the true entrance to the lobby.

The current lobby redesign calls for the elimination of the northside display case in favor of the creation of a ticketing booth as well as flooring.

More doors have also been worked into the design to allow the building to be compartmentalized when only one section is in use.

Inside the main hall, two possible ways of further dividing the room are being examined as well as a larger and more rounded stage and a dance floor.

Two columns will be added to help support a roof beam.

The Civic Center is a 41,170 square-foot facility. Reroofing plans call for work to be done in sections so that no area is exposed for more than 24 hours.