SLO County supervisors approve $4.8 million for Cayucos Veterans Hall renovation
The Cayucos Veterans Hall is one big step closer to renovation.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $4.8 million in grants and donations to rehabilitate the building — which has been closed for six years.
“This has been a long and winding road,” Supervisor Bruce Gibson said at the meeting. “I am deeply grateful to the hard work of all the folks who have helped bring this project to this point.”
This funding joins an existing $2.2 million in grants already allocated to the project — bringing the total amount of grants and donations to $7 million, according to a county news release. Bond sale revenue will help fund the project too, according to a county news release.
Construction on the $11 million project is expected to start this year and will take 14 to 18 months, the news release said.
The board also approved a bond on Tuesday that will allocate another $3.5 million to the project. The remaining $600,000 of the project will be financed by “various county funding sources,” Public Works Department Project Manager Margaret Mayfield told The Tribune in an email.
The board awarded Nipomo company JG Contracting the construction contract on Tuesday, too.
Capt. James Cass constructed the building in 1873, and it originally housed the Cass Warehouse, according to the county news release.
In recent history, the Veterans Hall served as a meeting place for the Cayucos Historical Society, Cayucos Art Gallery and the Cayucos Lions Club — and also hosted weddings and public meetings.
In 2016, the main section of the building was closed for structural concerns, and in 2021, the state fire marshal closed the building entirely, The Tribune reported.
“It’s been tough not having our primary gathering place. It has left us feeling a little bit incomplete,” Cayucos Chamber of Commerce President Lori Stone said at the meeting. “Our Vets Hall not only serves as a gathering place, but is intrinsically tied to our tourism, our town celebrations and our economic success.”
The approval of funding gives the business community hope, Stone said.
“We can see a future that is uniquely Cayucos, but filled with new opportunities — bringing back our events and helping us to see a growth that will keep us thriving,” Stone said.
Cayucos resident Greg Bettencourt also shared his support for the project at the meeting.
“There are lots of reasons for redoing the Vets Hall,” Bettencourt said. “The preeminent one is that it’s the heart of the business community.”
This story was originally published October 4, 2022 at 3:22 PM.
