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Resident urges community backing and nonprofit stewardship for Eagles Hall
Summary
A long-time resident urged the city and community organizations to support formation of a nonprofit to restore and reuse the historic Eagles Hall; he said state preservation staff have expressed interest and left his contact information for residents.
Robert Festa, an Anacortes resident of 15 years, used the public-comment period at the April 21 council meeting to seek community support for a proposal to rehabilitate the local Eagles Hall under nonprofit stewardship.
Festa said he has been in repeated conversations with the local intermediary for the national Eagles organization and that trustees have suggested the present time may be favorable to advance a community-backed proposal. He said the idea is to create a new nonprofit to develop and occupy the property and to assemble a program mix that could pay for maintenance and upgrades.
Festa told council he is in regular contact with Michael Hauser at the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, who he said had offered assistance. He asked community members and local groupsincluding the Chamber of Commerce and downtown business organizationsto contact him if they are interested in supporting a preservation and reuse plan. Festa left his telephone number in the record: (206) 713-9109.
Festa said the building needs extensive repairs to systems and finishes and that substantial fundraising would be required even if the building were transferred as a gift. He offered to meet with interested residents after the meeting and to bring a community voice to forthcoming trustee meetings, should there be support.
The remarks were delivered during the meetings public comment portion; council did not take formal action on the matter during the session.
