02/14/2024
The condition of the Dodge Auditorium has been a topic of discussion around the community for the past several years and has particularly picked up the last couple of years. The major factor that initiated the discussion for the replacement of the Auditorium is when the HVAC Unit quit working two years ago; this particular unit contained the heating and air conditioning in one complete unit. A decision had to be made on how much money was going to be spent replacing the entire HVAC system. At this point the Village Board felt it was time to construct a new building because there was just too much that needed to be done to the current building inside and out. A substantial amount of information was gathered over that past several years allowing the Village the ability to compare what it would take to build or renovate, so an informed direction and decision could be made.
In February of 2016, the Village was awarded a grant to have a feasibility study completed on the condition of the Auditorium. The study would compare renovating the Auditorium to bring it up to code and constructing a new auditorium. The Village applied for the grant in response to the information collected during the Community Surveys that were done in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2015. These surveys showed a trend of an increasing need for upgrades. As time progressed, the needs were not only cosmetic upgrades, but the need of handicap accessibility was becoming a growing concern. Also in 2015, the Village received a letter from the Disabled Veterans Association that a complaint was filed because the Auditorium did not meet ADA standards and wanted to know when and how the Village was going to address the problem.
In August of 2016, JEO Consulting was awarded the project and started working on collecting data for the project. A committee of 2 Village Board Members and 3 Community Members assisted JEO in the guidance of renovation design and new construction design. In May 2018 the study was completed, and an open house was held to present the findings to the community. The results highlighted the obvious need of ADA upgrades but also upgrades to plumbing, electrical, and insulation. The insulation upgrade was confirmed by the fact that the Village would have to use more than 8000 gallons of propane for a heating season. Even though the study showed that the building was in need of necessary upgrades, there was not enough support to move forward. Then with the flood and Covid, the Auditorium project was placed on the back burner.
As time has passed since the 2018 study, there also was a shift in the attitude of the use and rental of the Auditorium. Less and less people have rented the building due to the building not being properly handicap accessible and split level. Many caterers have started to turn down events there due to the fact of having to carry the food and supplies down the steep narrow steps into the kitchen. Craft vendors are not very willing to attend events at the Auditorium because of having to carry their items up or down stairs. Also, the physical condition of building is starting to reach the end of its life expectancy.
All of this has led us to the open house presentation that was given in November 2022 which presented the revitalization study that was done in 2018 and was also updated to address the current conditions of the Auditorium. This open house revealed that the community is ready for something to be done, and the majority would like to have a new venue. 100% agreed that something needs to be done and 85% recommended a new building. There is a new committee that worked to put together the presentation in November, and there is also another group working together on the funding and finances to make sure that this project is successful.
Just like in 1935 when the Dodge residents realized something better was needed to accommodate the community, that time has once again come. Things need to keep moving forward in order to keep the town progressing. There are a lot of young couples buying houses and staring families in town. A survey was done by the Nebraska Community Foundation a year ago with area high school students. The study revealed an overwhelming majority of them would like to return to the local area after graduation rather than settling in a large city. So, to say that the town is dying is not a true statement. All of these reasons are why there is a sizable group of people working on this project to make a multi-use community center that is functional, timeless, and accessible for all.
Leo Blaha
Dodge Chairman
