GODDARD – The newly renovated Goddard Community Center was re-opened to the public on Monday evening with an open house and a Goddard Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting.

The center had been closed since August to allow for a remodel of the interior.

The project cost about $150,000. The walls were cleaned and painted. The old drop ceiling was removed, and the new ceiling painted black with bright new lighting to created a more open feel. The heating and air conditioning system received upgraded duct work, and the duct work was painted black to match the ceiling. The floor was refinished.

There was a full remodel of the kitchen, with new cabinets and countertops and added amenities like a hand washing sink to keep the kitchen in compliance with health regulations. The bathrooms underwent a full remodel. The center now features two unisex bathrooms.

The project was started under former Mayor Hunter Larkin, who was on hand with current Mayor George Liebe. City administrator Craig Crossette started with the city in the middle of the project.

Liebe said much credit goes to public works employee Gary Medley and to public works director Brooke Brandenburg. Echoing the mayor, Brandenburg said Medley handled much of the details to lead to project to completion.

Liebe said the remodel adds a great deal to downtown Goddard.

“In terms of being able to contribute to our downtown revitalization, we've probably extended the life of the facility 35 to 40 years,” he said. “I'm really happy with the results.”

A good crowd was on hand for the reveal and the ribbon cutting, and people continued to come see the facility over the next two hours. The Goddard Community Center has long been home to many community groups including the Goddard Lions Club, the Boys Scouts and the Goddard senior group. It also is available as a rental for meetings and events.

The first public event in the newly remodeled center will the Lions Club's annual pancake and sausage breakfast on Saturday.

The project did take longer than originally anticipated. The City of Goddard has to go through the same permitting process as any other business or resident. As the city applied for its permits from the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department, it learned that it needed to submit architectural drawings to MABCD and gain that body's approval. That added 4-5 weeks to the project. It also is common for construction projects to take longer in a post-pandemic world.

In the end, city leaders felt the project was worth the wait.

Another issue addressed during the remodel was the floor of the community center. The building, which was constructed in 1936, had seen its foundation settled. That resulted in a floor that was not level. Some joist work was done to help level the floor.

A common but baseless rumor over the years has been that the floor could not hold much weight, and therefore dancing was not allowed. The floor was never unsafe, but the rumor had enough traction that there used to be a policy that banned dancing in the community center.

“The floor is completely safe,” Crossette said, adding that dancing is currently allowed.