Another expense was approved Monday night to make improvements to the Great Bend Events Center. To further separate the Events Center at 3111 10th Street from the abandoned and eyesore of a hotel to the east, the City of Great Bend will paint every part of the exterior that is visible from the street for $60,950.
The paint will be a darker grey and Great Bend Community Coordinator and CVB Director Christina Hayes hopes the change will get more people calling the facility by the correct name.
Christina Hayes Audio
The Great Bend City Council approved the bid from Brentwood Builders to paint the exterior east, front, and west side of the building. Brentwood had the lower bid of the two received and if an additional third coat of paint is needed then $9,100 can be added as an option.
Because the new entrance was added on, the Events Center has mismatched paint on the exterior. This paint project will match the new addition and old exterior. Weather permitting, Great Bend hopes the painting can be finished by the end of the year.
The paint goes onto a list of improvements that the City has made since taking over ownership of the Events Center in January 2016.
Brentwood handled $279,000 worth of renovations in 2016 that changed the entrance at the Events Center and added the Convention & Visitors Bureau office. A change order added $42,171 to the bill to repave a portion of the parking lot. Brentwood also tore down the overhead walkway that connected the Events Center and Great Bend Hotel for more than $23,000. A contract with Parr Sound and Lighting for more than $20,000 provided a digital sound system to the facility in 2016. Washington Roofing was awarded a contract to make needed repairs to the roof for more than $43,000 in 2016. The City added two overhead projectors to the Events Center for $6,755. Great Bend approved $99,000 to be spent on new carpet and tile this past August.
In the summer of 2015, Great Bend spent $10,500 for a Salina architect to design renovations for the Events Center.