DEL MAR — The freshly finished Del Mar Community Building at 225 9th St., is set for a grand opening and open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 28. The community is invited to tour the facility, learn about the spaces available for community use, and enjoy wine and cheese with other residents.The Del Mar Community Building will include offices for the Del Mar Foundation (DMF) and the Del Mar Community Connections (DMCC), along with a large computer lab for DMCC’s brain-fitness and computer-training programs. The building includes a conference room seating 14, a kitchen with a work space for eight and a reception room. The facilities augment current community meeting space at the library and City Hall Annex and will soon be available to Del Mar community groups by advance reservation.
Three community organizations (DMF, DMCC and the Visitor’s Association History Committee will have storage space on site, allowing a collective savings of over $500 in monthly off-site storage unit fees. The property also includes a parking lot, a rare amenity in Del Mar.
To make the Del Mar Community building a reality, the DMF and DMCC committed funds for remodeling, including an ADA-compliant restroom. Betty Wheeler, the DMF board member who spearheaded the negotiations for the building and coordinated its remodel, stated: “The Community Building is a reality because of the volunteer efforts of many community residents, plus tremendous support from the city of Del Mar.”
The Del Mar Foundation credits Assistant City Manager Mark Delin and the Public Works staff with providing crucial support, as have volunteers from the Del Mar Foundation, DMCC, and the Del Mar Garden Club. In addition, they cite the volunteer building and remodeling skills of Larry Brooks as key to a comprehensive and affordable spruce-up of the building.
The Del Mar Foundation approached the city last year with a proposal to use the building, formerly the site of the administrative offices of the Del Mar Union School District, as a community building. In addition to offices for the Del Mar Foundation and Del Mar Community Connections, it was to serve as a meeting place available to Del Mar organizations and groups.
On May 1, the Del Mar Foundation and the city entered into an Interim Use Agreement approving community use for an initial two years. The long-term use of the property is being determined by a master plan process for the entire Shores property.
For more information, and to see photos of the work in progress at the Community Building, visit the Del Mar Foundation web site at delmarfoundation.org/communitybuilding.
