HD South’s new space is approaching – Gilbertsunnews.com

The only Gilbert Museum is moving forward to the completion of its project “Construction Communities for all ages” with 6500 square feet, rising in the yard to the main structure.

Denise Lopez, President and CEO of HD South: The Home of the Gilbert Museum, said the city has long requires accessible rental spaces for community gatherings and meetings that the new building will provide.

The main ceremony for the new building took place in September last year and Lopez expects the work to be completed by April.

Along with the new construction, the existing yard will be upgraded with landscaping, plants and a water fountain to combine the new and old buildings thematically, she said.

The commemorative bricks that the museum uses a fundraising mechanism for the project will also be shown in the yard.

The yard leads to an open porch that has records in the toilets, the main space of the community and a conference room.

Lopez said the veranda portal was specifically designed to mix the older architecture of the building of the main museum with the new.

“We wanted to preserve the traditional look, but also to show progress with a cohesive structure of the new building,” she said.

Plans require the old building to be repainted.

The building once housed Gilbert’s first primary school.

There are two multifunctional rooms central to the new building, which will have a movable divider between them to accommodate larger gatherings.

Lopez said each room can hold 150 participants and both will be equipped with audio-visual equipment.

Community members will be able to hire space or an integral hall.

To the right of the building will be a smaller conference room, which can be used for less meetings.

There will be a kitchen next to this room, which will have a sink with a sink and electric bodies so that the establishment can be included. The kitchen also has entrances to the main hall and to the yard.

The project also includes the renovation of the parking lot on the side of the museum. Once completed, the complex will have two entrances – one to the new community space and the main entrance of the building used today.

Lopez said the museum is already interested in local companies and organizations to hire the new building for their events.

“The annual show for rock and minerals of Gilbert has already demanded to hold the event in this space in August this year,” she said

Lopez also noted that she had received requests from the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce to hire spaces and even some graduates of Gilbert schools for class events.

The museum shares parking with the Gilbert Elementary School and the Gilbert Regional Office.

“We expect most events to be held either on the weekend or after the school day is over and this will not cause disturbances in the area,” Lopez said.

Lopez is also excited by the opportunity to use the space to shelter some traveling museum exhibits that are currently being shown in one of the rooms in the main building.

“For example, Smithsonian requires museums to have at least 2500 square feet of free space to show their travel exhibits, and now we have 6500 square feet,” she said.

Community leaders like former mayor of Gilbert John Lewis have already visited the construction site and HD South has started guides to the new building last week.

The museum holds the tours every Friday from 2: 30-3 h, and the registration for each lap is limited to six participants.

To register for a tour, go to hdsouth.org.