The City of Eureka recently announced it has been awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Kansas Department of Commerce in the amount of $282,867 to continue the restoration of the 1,843 square feet of historic windows at Memorial Hall. With this restoration, the city feels the venue would attract visitors and strengthen tourism in the southern Flint Hills region of Kansas and significantly benefit Eureka.
The current condition of the building’s window system is deteriorated and needs additional preservation efforts as the windows are original to the building. The windows on the north side and part of the front side of the building (21 windows total) have been restored to the original rolled steel windows. The remaining 28 windows consist of single-pane systems with some of those panes being replaced over the years. These varying panes of glass have resulted in uneven light transmission. The current window system also does not adhere to the current safety standards as the window panes are not tempered to ensure public safety.
The current single pane window system also poses an environmental control issue as they are not energy efficient. With the auditorium not having air conditioning, temperature control is crucial to the space being a viable option for larger events.
(Continued On Page 4) Until funding is available to address the HVAC needs, upgrading the remaining window system with more modern and energy efficient window panes will greatly improve the environment within the auditorium and surrounding spaces in Memorial Hall.
Mayor Stephen Coulter commented, “We are deeply grateful for this generous grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce, which will allow us to continue with the Memorial Hall window restoration and make a real difference in the lives of Eureka.”
The cost for the project is estimated to be $368,157 (including grant administration) with $85,290 of that being covered by match funds. Matching funds will cover a portion of the rehabilitation costs and all of the cost for post-award architectural and grant administration activities.
