The Veterans Memorial Building in Grass Valley received a long-overdue renovation of its maple flooring. The facility was renovated in 2008 to bring in modern comforts while preserving the space's historic character.
Sandy “Jake” Jacobson, former Director of Recreation for the City of Grass Valley, recalls the 2008 renovation included a major update to the maple flooring would go on to grow recreation possibilities within the Cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Jacobson recalls, “Supervisor Drew Bedwell found an old copy of the original floor plan which showed the facility was designed to accommodate basketball. After showing the floor plan to a few recreation providers (Jacobson included), he gained support to use recently acquired grant funding to re-surface the floor, add lines, backboards, and volleyball standards. The building quickly filled with adult and youth sports activities and maintained it standing as a popular events center. At the time, the 1930’s maple flooring was still in good repair.”
Recently, the wood flooring had reached the end of its life and could no longer be repaired. In July of 2021, the building received a full renovation of the maple flooring. It now showcases an athletic-rated maple floor. This renovation brings new life to this popular venue and ensures years of basketball, volleyball, pickleball, fencing, meetings, special events, and concerts.
This building serves many purposes, including a meeting space and special events facility. Many veterans groups frequent this space and call it home base, including the American Legion Post #130, Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League, and the Vietnam Veterans. “This floor represents new opportunities, new celebrations, and the ability to share the space with the community and their friends and family. It solidifies a strong foundation for the future of our veterans' services,” David West, Veterans Services Officer.
“We are excited to have completed the new floor to make a safer and more welcoming space for our veterans and our community for years to come,” added Facilities Manager Justin Drinkwater. “This project has been in our Capital Improvement Plan for several years, and we are grateful we had the opportunity to move this forward with State grant funding.” This project was made possible through grant funding. The project received much of its funding ($160,000) through the Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program.
The Veterans Memorial facility is available to rent for community events year-round. For information on renting the Veterans Memorial Building, please visit the Grass Valley Veteran’s Memorial Building webpage, which provides the calendar, online booking request tool, and general information about the space.
