Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Dahmen Barn addition in Uniontown is nearing completion — in an interim state — for the building which will ultimately add four studio spaces, a commercial kitchen and a classroom/meeting room.
The project, funded by a $362,000 Art Place grant which the Uniontown Community Development Association (UCDA) received early last year, encountered delays in the planning and design stage, which led to higher costs.
Organizers will now need more funding to complete the project. In the meantime, the partially-finished space will function as a semi-outdoor shelter for music and other events in 2015.
“We have the envelope of the building,” said UCDA President Dale Miller, referring to the structure with interior wiring and plumbing. Once the large doors and windows are installed, the building will allow for a somewhat open-air space for next summer.
“It would be like a park shelter for events,” Miller said.
Funding to complete the project is expected to come soon, in the form of additional grants.
“We have preliminary commitments for all of the funding necessary,” Miller said. “But we don’t have it all in hand yet.”
The project began last fall, with volunteers first clearing out an old loafing shed on the site where the new addition was built. The 30-by-70-foot shed was torn down before the 50-by-72-foot new building went up this fall. Its connection to the main barn comes through an entryway.
Mangum Construction of Clarkston is performing the work on the addition. They began in September, and since the weather has stayed relatively warm workers have been able to stay on the job. A Mangum crew is assigned to the roof this week, followed by siding, then doors and windows.
The concrete, framing, electrical and plumbing are all complete.
“We had enough money for the doors and windows,” Miller said, indicating that funds will run out after that. “We were hoping to get (this phase) done in December, and with the weather predictions, it looks like we’ll be able to.”
The building has no heating system yet or air conditioning.
Miller and the UCDA originally expected to take the project out to bid last January, but were delayed until August.
“The design process was difficult,” he said. “It’s been a stretch for us. Obviously it didn’t go as planned. But we’re getting it done.”
Art Place America announced in May 2013 that the UCDA would receive $362,300 to complete the expansion of the Dahmen Barn.The project to expand the center was chosen from more than 1,200 applications nationwide as an exceptional example of creative placemaking.
ArtPlace America is a collaboration of national and regional foundations, banks and federal agencies committed to accelerating creative placemaking – using art to revitalize communities. Grant amounts range from $750,000 to $33,000 with an average grant size of just over $280,000.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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