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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 27, 2005 The Central Point Cemetery has been maintained by local Masons since 1990, but their numbers are dwindling. Masons to sell unfinished lodge By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — After three years planning, building and hoping for a new home alongside their historic Hamrick Road cemetery, members of the Central Point Masonic Lodge are resigned to selling their partially finished digs and remaining in temporary quarters. With an aging membership and a serious lack of funding, the near 100-year-old group is unable to complete its $1 million facility to enable legal occupancy. In addition, the pioneer burial grounds next door could use a new guardian, with younger blood and available maintenance funds. Lodge spokesman Bill Best said members met this past week to take a hard look at the feasibility of completing construction on the lodge. "None of us are getting any younger and our numbers are just dwindling," said Best. Advertisement "The building is really nice, and it took so long to get going. The members have come to the conclusion that they’re never going to finish it. It’d cost another quarter-million or more to get in and do it correctly." Lodge members voted in early 2002 to sell their Pine Street home of 80 years, the century old "YMCA building," for $300,000, to Cash Connections Pawn Shops. Plans were to build a 10,000-square-foot single-level lodge with improved storage and parking. While initial estimates called for construction costs of $1 million, having a ready supply of retired contractors helped trim various expenses by as much as half. Regardless, Best said finish work to the inside of the lodge and other incidentals are not affordable. Under the rules of Freemasonry, going into debt is prohibited. Best said local real estate agents have estimated the facility’s value, unfinished, for between $1 million and $1.3 million. Completing the project, which would include central heat and air-conditioning, plumbing, electrical and paving, could cost up to $500,000 more. "Don’t get me wrong, if somebody came in and said, ‘I got a half million or a quarter-million dollars and I want to finish your building for you,’ we’d probably bow to them, get on our knees or something real crazy like that!" said Best with a laugh. "But I don’t know any crazy philanthropers wanting to do something like that." With such rapid growth taking place in the city, Best said lodge members are hopeful the property would attract a buyer. Nearby, at Pine and Hamrick, plans are under way for a Sonic fast-food drive-in, a new strip mall and a Super 8 Motel. In addition, a 21-acre site at the corner of Pine and Hamrick awaits development. Community Development Director Tom Humphrey said use of the property would be "somewhat limited," but recent years’ growth has put property in the city in great demand. The portion of property on which the lodge sits is zoned for civic use. Access to the future Don Jones Park should not be affected by a potential sale of the lodge, Humphrey said. As to the fate of Central Point’s Masonic membership, Best said lodge members are committed to remaining in the city. "We’ve been meeting in Jacksonville at the Warren Lodge. And we’ve had Medford and Ashland invite us to meet with them," Best said. "If we have to sell, the money would be put in some sort of interest-bearing account and allowed to grow to the point a facility could be bought and remodeled or built. But we’re not gonna give up the Central Point lodge. We’re almost ready to hit 100 years. We aren’t going anywhere." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s