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Hutchins St. Sq. Rotunda
HIstory of Hutchins Street Square:
The cornerstone for the new Lodi Union High School was laid on February 13, 1913 on land purchased from Thomas Hutchins just west of the city limits. As the grand buildings rose, people celebrated the promising future Lodi had with the state-of-the-art educational facility. The campus was opened for classes in the autumn of 1913.
Over the years, more buildings were added. In 1923, Principal William Inch oversaw the construction of the science building, shop, auditorium, and a second story swimming pool in the gymnasium which was called "Inch's Folly." As the decades went by, larger and larger classes of students were using the facility. By the mid 1950s, the campus was too small, and another campus was built on Pacific Avenue. The old campus continued to be used for high school classes. The buildings did not meet state earthquake standards, and in 1974 an arson fire damaged the administration building and set the facility's fate.
After the new Tokay High School opened for classes on September 6, 1977, the old, fire-scarred site just four blocks from downtown was abandoned. Meanwhile, the City Council, which had acquired a five-year option to buy the 10-acre site in June 1975, mulled over the suggestion to build a community center on the prime land. Various civic groups supported the idea, and a council-appointed committee agreed that Lodi needed a community center. A private group of volunteers organized themselves as the Old Lodi Union High School Site Foundation and sought donations. The Foundation lobbied the council to buy the site and promised to repay the city.
On March 6, 1980, the council voted to buy the school grounds from the Lodi Unified School District for $475,000 and set the wheels in motion for the community center that eventually became Hutchins Street Square. A public-private partnership between the City and the Foundation was born. The Foundation was given the responsibility of financing and planning the reconstruction projects, and the City agreed to maintain and operate the center.
The Foundation devised a master plan and began fundraising efforts. Field and Fair Day, an annual Labor Day event, began in 1980 as an all-day affair put on by volunteers to raise money. Work began right away to demolish some of the old buildings which could not be saved. Renovation began on the field and plans were drawn for remodeling the remaining original buildings - the girls and boys gymnasiums, cafeteria, and auditorium. Slowly, over the years, the community center which became known as Hutchins Street Square began to take shape.
In addition to Field and Fair Day, there were many other imaginative fundraising events which have been held to raise money for the renovation of Hutchins Street Square. The first fundraiser, held in 1979, was a play production of “Razamataz or Can a Little Girl from Lodi Make it in Tinsel Town?” performed by Lodi High School graduate Dale Lindholm's theater group from Walnut Creek. Other innovative fund-raisers over the years included a bachelor auction, numerous festive dinner/dances with auctions, the sale of a home built by Bennett & Compton, Inc., the sale of “Ruby”, the City's antique fire truck, the sale of personalized bricks to line a plaza at the Square, and the sale of theater seats inside the new performing arts theater.
The various and imaginative fundraisers held over the next 4 years were effective. In 1984, the Foundation paid off its $475,000 debt to the City of Lodi. Fundraising efforts then concentrated on paying for the facility renovation. Each Field and Fair Day and annual Christmas Dinner/Dance saw new improvements made to the Square including the Fine Arts Facility, rebuilt from the shell of the music building and Kirst Hall, which was the old boys' gymnasium.
Over the years, donations from individuals and corporations have enabled many improvements at the Square. The most notable contribution was $2.4 million dollars from the late William G. Holz, a Lodi industrialist. His gift was used in 1987 to reconstruct the girls' gymnasium into the Senior Complex, which today houses the Adult Day Care for the elderly, and the renovated indoor therapeutic swimming pool on the building's second floor.
By 1996, about $6.5 million had been raised through events and donations and was spent on the square reconstruction. The Square was nearly complete, but one project, the most ambitious undertaking, remained. The project to renovate the 73-year-old auditorium and the cafeteria into a state-of-the-art Performing Arts and Conference Center was slated to cost $10 million.
In order to fund this last project and complete the Square, the Foundation and the Lodi City Council returned to their loan arrangement of nearly 20 years ago. The Council unanimously voted to finance the construction by issuing bonds, and the Foundation will continue fundraising to pay off the debt in the future. F and H Construction began work on the Performing Arts and Conference Center in November 1996. After tearing down the inside of the brick auditorium, it was reconstructed with a 789-seat theatre complete with an orchestral pit, a majestic 65-foot rotunda and multi-purpose meeting rooms with connecting lobbies. The project was finished in April 1998, and the plans were rolled up for the final time. Hutchins Street Square was complete.
From its grandeur in the early days of Lodi as an educational center of town, to neglect and decay, then finally, within a span of 20 years, these former school buildings and its 10-acre site have been reincarnated into the City's crown jewel — the cultural, recreational and business center of town.
Hutchins St. Sq. Rotunda
HIstory of Hutchins Street Square:
The cornerstone for the new Lodi Union High School was laid on February 13, 1913 on land purchased from Thomas Hutchins just west of the city limits. As the grand buildings rose, people celebrated the promising future Lodi had with the state-of-the-art educational facility. The campus was opened for classes in the autumn of 1913.
Over the years, more buildings were added. In 1923, Principal William Inch oversaw the construction of the science building, shop, auditorium, and a second story swimming pool in the gymnasium which was called "Inch's Folly." As the decades went by, larger and larger classes of students were using the facility. By the mid 1950s, the campus was too small, and another campus was built on Pacific Avenue. The old campus continued to be used for high school classes. The buildings did not meet state earthquake standards, and in 1974 an arson fire damaged the administration building and set the facility's fate.
After the new Tokay High School opened for classes on September 6, 1977, the old, fire-scarred site just four blocks from downtown was abandoned. Meanwhile, the City Council, which had acquired a five-year option to buy the 10-acre site in June 1975, mulled over the suggestion to build a community center on the prime land. Various civic groups supported the idea, and a council-appointed committee agreed that Lodi needed a community center. A private group of volunteers organized themselves as the Old Lodi Union High School Site Foundation and sought donations. The Foundation lobbied the council to buy the site and promised to repay the city.
On March 6, 1980, the council voted to buy the school grounds from the Lodi Unified School District for $475,000 and set the wheels in motion for the community center that eventually became Hutchins Street Square. A public-private partnership between the City and the Foundation was born. The Foundation was given the responsibility of financing and planning the reconstruction projects, and the City agreed to maintain and operate the center.
The Foundation devised a master plan and began fundraising efforts. Field and Fair Day, an annual Labor Day event, began in 1980 as an all-day affair put on by volunteers to raise money. Work began right away to demolish some of the old buildings which could not be saved. Renovation began on the field and plans were drawn for remodeling the remaining original buildings - the girls and boys gymnasiums, cafeteria, and auditorium. Slowly, over the years, the community center which became known as Hutchins Street Square began to take shape.
In addition to Field and Fair Day, there were many other imaginative fundraising events which have been held to raise money for the renovation of Hutchins Street Square. The first fundraiser, held in 1979, was a play production of “Razamataz or Can a Little Girl from Lodi Make it in Tinsel Town?” performed by Lodi High School graduate Dale Lindholm's theater group from Walnut Creek. Other innovative fund-raisers over the years included a bachelor auction, numerous festive dinner/dances with auctions, the sale of a home built by Bennett & Compton, Inc., the sale of “Ruby”, the City's antique fire truck, the sale of personalized bricks to line a plaza at the Square, and the sale of theater seats inside the new performing arts theater.
The various and imaginative fundraisers held over the next 4 years were effective. In 1984, the Foundation paid off its $475,000 debt to the City of Lodi. Fundraising efforts then concentrated on paying for the facility renovation. Each Field and Fair Day and annual Christmas Dinner/Dance saw new improvements made to the Square including the Fine Arts Facility, rebuilt from the shell of the music building and Kirst Hall, which was the old boys' gymnasium.
Over the years, donations from individuals and corporations have enabled many improvements at the Square. The most notable contribution was $2.4 million dollars from the late William G. Holz, a Lodi industrialist. His gift was used in 1987 to reconstruct the girls' gymnasium into the Senior Complex, which today houses the Adult Day Care for the elderly, and the renovated indoor therapeutic swimming pool on the building's second floor.
By 1996, about $6.5 million had been raised through events and donations and was spent on the square reconstruction. The Square was nearly complete, but one project, the most ambitious undertaking, remained. The project to renovate the 73-year-old auditorium and the cafeteria into a state-of-the-art Performing Arts and Conference Center was slated to cost $10 million.
In order to fund this last project and complete the Square, the Foundation and the Lodi City Council returned to their loan arrangement of nearly 20 years ago. The Council unanimously voted to finance the construction by issuing bonds, and the Foundation will continue fundraising to pay off the debt in the future. F and H Construction began work on the Performing Arts and Conference Center in November 1996. After tearing down the inside of the brick auditorium, it was reconstructed with a 789-seat theatre complete with an orchestral pit, a majestic 65-foot rotunda and multi-purpose meeting rooms with connecting lobbies. The project was finished in April 1998, and the plans were rolled up for the final time. Hutchins Street Square was complete.
From its grandeur in the early days of Lodi as an educational center of town, to neglect and decay, then finally, within a span of 20 years, these former school buildings and its 10-acre site have been reincarnated into the City's crown jewel — the cultural, recreational and business center of town.