Washougal Community Center renovations begin soon

Crews from Columbia Construction are expected to begin renovation work on the Washougal Community Center later this month.

The company, from Wilsonville, Oregon, has been awarded a $463,966 contract. Timothy Buckley, of Greenstone Architecture, had estimated the project would cost $520,000.

The upgrades will receive $350,000 in a legislative appropriation, while the center’s kitchen remodel will be a recipient of $150,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding. The city match will be $100,000.

The improvements will include the replacement of the heating and air conditioning system and roof, as well as retrofitting the kitchen. Columbia is expected to complete the project in mid-February 2016.

The Meals on Wheels People will provide new industrial refrigerators and freezers, as well as ovens and steam tables. The remodel will bring the kitchen into compliance with new state health regulations and provide expanded capacity for meal preparation.

Meanwhile, senior citizens and others are invited to enjoy lunch in the community center, located at 1681 “C” St. Meals are served Monday through Thursday, at 11:30 a.m.

On Friday, the meals are served at 11:30 a.m. in the Camas Community Center, 1718 S.E. Seventh Ave.

Janice Butzke, manager of The Meals on Wheels People Camas-Washougal, said a lot of seniors are not dropping by the Washougal Community Center anymore because they think it is closed during the renovations.

“You don’t need to be a member [of the Camas-Washougal Senior Center Association] to get a meal,” she added.

The lunches that will be provided during the renovations will be served on disposable plates, since there will be no running water.

The lunch cost is $7.39 per person. People 60 and older are requested to pay “what they are able to,” Butzke said.

The Washougal Community Center will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, for the Veterans Day holiday. For more information, call 210-5666 or email janice.butzke@mealsonwheelspeople.org.