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The grand opening of Phoenix Plaza Civic Center, a five-year undertaking by the city’s Urban Renewal Agency and city government, will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at 220 N. Main St. The 6,500-square-foot building and adjoining plaza will host meetings and events. “I think it will be perfect for downtown,” said Mayor Chris Luz. “It’s going to be a great place to gather. It looks like the farmers market will be there, the Chamber of Commerce will be there.” Relocation of civic meetings from the Public Works facility will be a plus, he added. From 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, the building will be open for tours, with refreshments served. At noon a ribbon-cutting will take place. A peace pole dedication is set for 12:15 p.m. Rotary Club of Bear Creek Valley donated the pole and a Sequoia tree that will be dedicated at 12:30. A time capsule made by Lyle Heigl and donated to the city will be buried at 12:45 p.m. City staff and councilors selected items for the capsule. They include a letter from the mayor, pictures, civic documents and information from community groups. Adroit Construction of Ashland built the center, which had a $2.8 million budget. It includes office space, meeting areas, a warming kitchen and other amenities. It is a centerpiece of urban renewal efforts to revive downtown. A plaza space and wetlands park are adjacent to the center. PHURA is redeveloping the 30-acre area bordered by Main Street, Bear Creek Drive, First and Fourth streets. “The center is really part of a much larger vision for the downtown. I’m very happy with how the whole project came around,” said PHURA Chair Stuart Warren, who is on the City Council, which became the agency’s board of directors last fall. Urban renewal purchased the site in 2015 with plans to develop the civic center and offer other lots in the area for commercial or residential uses. Those lots didn’t sell and are now off the market while urban renewal officials examine where to go next. The 12-year-old urban renewal agency plan for the city will be re-evaluated, Warren said. Urban renewal borrowed $1.5 million from the city to complete the plaza center project. Taxes collected by the agency will be used to repay the loan. The city will operate the plaza under an agreement with PHURA, but it will be turned over to city ownership once the time for potential claims arising from construction passes. “The (agency) budget will be tight for the next couple of years, mainly because the debt service needs that money,” said Warren. The center has an informal gathering place with comfortable chairs and a gas fireplace and a meeting chamber. A great room with rollup doors facing the plaza can be split in two spaces for separate events. It also has two office areas. The plaza just north of the building includes a meandering creek fed by a spring. Funding has been received to hire an AmeriCorps resource assistant who will work on market and resource development, community recreation, events and volunteer coordination for both the center and the town. The position has been advertised, and interviews are scheduled to begin next week. City staff is determining hours of operation, staffing levels and what sort of activities may be accommodated. Plans so far include meetings of the council, city commissions and committees and most public meetings. “We hope to have all kinds of activities, including presentations, social events, corporate training and many others,” said City Manager Aaron Prunty. “At this time, we are talking with groups to gauge interest in how they might use the facility.” Discussion with the Chamber of Commerce is underway to reach an agreement that would give it a dedicated space in the building, Prunty said. Kitchen facilities are designed for caterers who would bring prepared food to the venue. Warming ovens will keep food hot, and a convection oven could be used for baking sheet items such as cookies. There are also commercial-grade appliances, including freezer, refrigerator, microwave, sink and dishwasher. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].