The renovation will begin June 13, and is expected to be complete by June 2017. The project will add 5,500 sq. ft. to the clubhouse, making it more than 44,000 sq. ft., relocate the main restaurant, improve and expand outdoor seating by 50%, and create a new 1,800-sq. ft. fitness facility.
Less than two weeks after hosting the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships, Eugene (Ore.) Country Club will begin a yearlong clubhouse renovation project that will force members into temporary facilities during construction and require significant, if temporary, layoffs among serving and kitchen staffs, the Eugene-based Register-Guard reported.
A year ago, ECC members authorized a $10 million renovation that would add 5,500 sq. ft. to the clubhouse, expanding the size to more than 44,000 sq. ft., relocate the main restaurant to provide improved views of the golf course, expand and improve outdoor seating by 50% and create a new 1,800-sq. ft. fitness facility with direct access from the men’s and women’s locker rooms, among other improvements, both to the pro shop and infrastructure, the Register-Guard reported.
The club had an operating profit last year and is in healthy financial shape, said General Manager Rich Spurlin. The project will be financed by taking $2.5 million from cash reserves and asking members to pay $49 per month on debt service over the life of the loan, he said. On May 26, club members will be asked to authorize spending up to $700,000 more on the project because of rising costs, the money to be taken from cash reserves, the Register-Guard reported.
The project is the first major upgrade of the clubhouse facility since the early 1990s. As cited in the clubhouse renovation proposal approved by members last June, the renovation will benefit current members as well as “appeal to future generations of potential members.” The proposal noted that while ECC membership is “nearly full,” and the average age of the membership is “higher than most clubs.”
“While great golf is, and will remain, the foundation of Eugene Country Club, similar organizations have grown by offering a wider variety of amenities to both men and women as well as promoting a more family-friendly environment. These include health and wellness facilities and programs, casual dining options and an overall modern atmosphere,” the proposal said. “The club has a great golf course; it deserves a great clubhouse.”
Spurlin said furniture and kitchen equipment will be moved out of the clubhouse starting June 5, and the renovation will begin June 13, with the project to be completed in June 2017, the Register-Guard reported.
In the meantime, food services will relocate near the swimming pool, which has a snack bar. Three 60-foot modular trailers will be brought in to house food and beverage support, offices and the golf shop, and modular restrooms will also be installed. The club has purchased two large tents to be used for a bar area and for covered seating, the Register-Guard reported.
The temporary downsizing will result in layoffs of roughly 50% of the serving and kitchen staff, both in June and in the fall, Spurlin said. He said the club has sought to find positions for affected employees elsewhere in the operation, and that tenured employees would be eligible to be rehired with immediate restoration of health and vacation benefits when the clubhouse reopens next year, the Register-Guard reported.
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