Legion Park Event Center Update – November 2019

Take a quick drive past Legion Park and pay particular attention to the southwest corner of the Park. You’ll notice that the construction of the new community event center building is underway.  The footings are in; the floor is poured with piping/wiring in place for in-floor heat and My Hearing Loop.  Shortly, the super-structure will rise. 

For sure, this is no ordinary building.  It is a testament to some 300 businesses, organizations, and families/individuals who have invested $915,000 (current gifts, grants, pledges, and in-kind donations) to make this community event center a reality.

There’s little doubt that the steering committee, chaired by Sheri Engelke, and its fund-raising sub-committee have done outstanding work.  There’s also little doubt that the project has grown in scope and complexity over the nearly year that this group has been working.  The Legion Park Community Event Center will be a climate-controlled year-round space, with a 400-person capacity, that will be managed as an accessible and affordable facility through the City of Platteville Parks Department.  It is being built by local businesses including Eastman Cartwright, Delta 3 Engineering, Ingersoll, Graney Electric and McNett Electric, Fire & Safety, Dave Jones Plumbing, Lifeline Amplification, My Hearing Loop/Mike Mair, Baker Iron Works and High Traffic Flooring.

Your question might be – what is the Steering Committee currently working on.  The answer is simple.  Completing the project.  That means finding additional investments of some $200,000 to assure that the epoxy floor, dividing wall, banquet tables and chairs, Phase II of the Hearing Loop, a video system a stone building front and landscaping are in place.  Yes, the Legion Park Community Event Center is a nearly $1.1Million project – a transformational project in our community, built by our community.

This is the Season of Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is both a compound and a complex word.  First, thanks.  And, thankful we are that this is a community that comes together and invests.  Then, giving.  There are still opportunities to give.  Many folks have chosen to give gifts in honor of or in memory of parents, relatives, and friends.  Others have pooled gifts for family recognition.  

It’s the Season – of thanks and giving.  Make your investment today.  Contact any member of the Steering and Fundraising Committee (Chair Sheri Engelke, Josh Butson, Bob Digman, Vince Graney, Mike LeGrand, Luke Peters, Jo Roling, Gene Weber, Ron Weier, Nathan Curry, Dennis Cooley, or Bob Hundhausen) or simply send a check, payable to Inspiring Community, Inc. to PO Box 503, Platteville WI 53818.

Visit platteville.org/eventcenter for more information.