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Friday, 11 December 2009 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — Greeted with bright lights, new floors and fresh paint, visitors to the St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce Friday got a look at the newly renovated office during an open house.
"It feels great, it's been a long time coming," Chamber Executive Director Kelly Kill told The Evening Leader during the open house. "We started working on an office project 12 years ago and it's been fantastic to get it done. It feels good, it looks good and it smells good."
The renovation project, which started in October, made the chamber look like a new office. Increased lighting, a more open reception area and a meeting room are some of the new additions to the chamber office.
"It feels so good to come in, it's bright and light," Kill said. "It feels so good to have the bright lights."
Kill said she believes the new-look chamber will project a more professional image when residents visit the office. Another addition to the office is a flat-panel television that will allow the chamber to display information to residents looking for events going on around St. Marys.
"That's why we designed it the way we did," Kill said. "It was so dated before and it was dark and it just needed a fresh face. The oak wood, to me, is a timeless look. The colors we chose from are soft, warm and welcoming. It's much more welcoming."
The renovated office now contains a handicapped-accessible restroom. The meeting room, Kill said, will be open to chamber members who would want to hold gatherings at the office.
Project Manager Frank Murray said he was pleased with how the office turned out. During the past decade, Murray said the topic of a new chamber office surfaced a handful of times.
"This really started 12 years ago in an office search committee," Murray said. "We did an office search at that time and most were on the other end of town."
Among the options was relocating the former train depot to the intersection of Spring and Spruce streets. However an economic downturn in 2002 forced the project to be shelved several years later. Murray said the renovated office should be a benefit to the entire community.
"We could return money to the chamber's operating costs each month," Murray said. "Plus we were able to bring seven or eight chamber member contractors in and provide some real jobs."
Murray said the office will see a few more changes in the coming weeks. The entrance into the basement will be revamped as well as some wrought iron work around the windows.
"The new deck will be on next week," Murray said.
Murray also agreed with Kill regarding the impact the office will now have on first-time visitors to St. Marys.
"First impressions are lasting impressions," Murray said. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 January 2010 )
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