Photos / Into the Future: Cultural Center Plaza groundbreaking set

The ceremony was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., rain or shine, on the west lawn of the Cultural Center, at 540 NE Highway 101. A reception with coffee and sweets will follow, inside the center in Margaret’s Meeting Room.

"It’s a big day for the Cultural Plaza, which has been nearly five years in the making," a release from the Cultural Center states.

The Center’s board of directors and the Plaza Campaign Leadership Committee encourage the whole north Lincoln County community to attend and enjoy this celebration of art, culture and partnership with them.

The Plaza construction is scheduled to begin in March.

“This is going to be a special moment – the launch of a beautiful new resource for Lincoln City and our nonprofit Cultural Center,” said Dorcas Holzapfel, president of the board. “It’s happening because our whole community pulled together, the City of Lincoln City supported us and our legislators championed the cause. Donors, foundations and fundraisers are making this dream a reality. We hope they will all come and celebrate with us.”

Mayor Susan Wahlke, Rep. Dave Gomberg and Sen. Dick Anderson will be turning the ceremonial sod, along with board members and project managers from the City of Lincoln City, Civil West Engineering Services, Shapiro Didway Landscape Architects and Cascade Civil Corp.

What is the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza?

The project will transform the outdoor space around the historic Delake School building, home to the Lincoln City Cultural Center since 2007. By the end of 2023, the 2.6 acres around the brick schoolhouse will be transformed into a pedestrian friendly outdoor space, filled with dedicated installments of public art, gathering spaces with seating, and sponsored spaces for education and performance, connected by a drive-able meandering pathway.

The Plaza site plan, which was formed with community input in 2018 and 2019, offers a redesigned parking area and traffic flow, along with islands, lighting and other upgrades required by city code.

Although the property belongs to the City of Lincoln City, this $3 million development is a project of the nonprofit Lincoln City Cultural Center.

The center has partnered with the Lincoln City Percent for Art fund, which provided the Plaza’s first installation: Pete Beeman’s “Poppy” on the southwest corner. The Cultural Center is also working with the Lincoln City Rotary Club to provide outsized outdoor musical instruments in the northwest corner and the Kiwanis Club of Lincoln City, leading the charge for a playful children’s outdoor arts classroom on the east side.

What is scheduled to happen next

First, according to the latest schedule, will be the removal of trees from the project site. This highly visible work could begin as early as the first week of March. Some of the trees are in the right of way or interfering with power lines, while others are coastal pines that have been over-limbed and are in poor health.

“It will be hard for me to see those old trees go,” LCCC Executive Director Niki Price said. “But I know that we’ll be planting back nearly three times that amount, with a greater variety in deciduous and conifers, all throughout the property. And removing those older pines will allow us to bring in more utilities and access, irrigation so that the future trees will stay healthy, and safer parking options for everyone.”

The Cultural Center is scheduled to remain open, for regular meetings and events, throughout the construction period. Parking may be limited at certain times of the summer, however. Staff and board will continue to work with Cascade Civil Corp., as well as its neighbors and adjoining properties, to ensure access through October.

Funding

The total estimated cost of the project is $3 million.

In 2019 State Rep. David Gomberg was instrumental in securing a $1.5 million lottery bond allocation for the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza project through the State of Oregon budget process.

The LCCC Board announced in June 2020, its effort to raise $250,000 through the Inspiration Capital Campaign Goal was successful.

A large thermometer sign had been installed on the front lawn at the Cultural Center to illustrate donations and sales of commemorative bricks for the plaza project.

According to the release, generous funders for the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza project include:

Generous funders for the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza project include:

• The State of Oregon, through the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act funds
• The Roundhouse Foundation
• The Marcia H. Randall Foundation
• The City of Lincoln City
• Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund
• Oregon Community Foundation
• Oregon Cultural Trust
• The Lincoln County Economic Development Fund
• The Autzen Foundation
• The Oneatta Fund of the OCF
• Ronni Lacroute
• The Family of Dorinda Brush
• The late Lloyd and Marlene Ankeny
• Greg and Rosanne Berton
• Rocky Blumhagen and Richard Royse
• And more than 350 other donors who have contributed to the Invest in Inspiration Campaign (2019-present).

The Cultural Center board continues to raise funds toward the completion of this important project. To learn more about legacy gifts and other Plaza opportunities, call Niki Price, 541-994-9994.

The competitive bidding process for the Plaza opened in November and was led by Civil West Engineering Services of Newport. The lowest of the qualified bidders was Cascade Civil Corp., a heavy civil construction firm based in Redmond, Ore. The firm’s president, Paul MacClanahan, has been working with Civil West, Shapiro Didway and the LCCC’s project liaison, Alan Holzapfel, to prepare for a March-September construction timeline.

The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 NE Highway 101 in Lincoln City. For information, visit the Center's website at lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call at 541-994-9994.