Tours of 1912 Center: June 30

[Kenton Bird <kbird@uidaho.edu>]

Visionaries:
Curious about all of the construction on Third Street across from Moscow
High School?  Here's your chance to look behind the scenes at renovation
on the 1912 Center.
Free, public tours will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, and
depart every half-hour until 1 p.m.  The last tour will finish about
1:30.  Members of the Mayor’s 1912 Center Task Force and other
volunteers will serve as guides.
 The tours are intended to show work in progress on converting the
city’s former high school, built in 1912, to a multi-generational
community center, said Duane LeTourneau, task force chairman.   “This is
a great opportunity to see the building’s architectural features and
learn what uses are planned for the space,” he said.
 Tours will begin at the building’s east entrance, facing Van Buren
Street. Participants should wear sturdy shoes and be able to climb two
flights of stairs with no difficulty.  Because of the construction,
children under 12 cannot be accommodated.
 Phase I of the project, scheduled for completion in September, will
create a Great  Hall on the ground floor in the school’s former
gymnasium, a kitchen, restrooms and a plaza on the building’s south
side, facing Third Street.   The $2 million Phase 1 project, paid for
entirely with private donations and grants, also includes roof repairs,
seismic reinforcement and exterior brick restoration.
 Phase 2 will begin immediately after completion of Phase 1 and will
include centers for senior citizens and developmentally disabled adults
on the ground floor.  The city of Moscow recently received a $222,917
Community Development Block Grant from the Idaho Department of Commerce
to support this part of the renovation.
 Future phases will include a science center, art studios, a historic
classroom and community meeting rooms.
 Design West of Pullman is the architect for the entire project and
Citadel Construction of Spokane is the contractor for Phase 1.
 For more information about the tours or to volunteer to help with the
task force, please contact LeTourneau at 882-5078 or Lois Blackburn at
882-8936,

--Kenton