Wednesday’s rain may have prevented any outside work on the remodeling of the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion, but Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer told the Park Board on Tuesday that he expects the renovation to be completed on schedule. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — With the remodel to the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion expected to be completed this year, the Warsaw Park Board was asked Tuesday, Feb. 21, to think about rental fees for the facility.

CME Corp., Fort Wayne, is remodeling the pavilion for approximately $2.8 million with Zimmer Biomet Foundation having donated $2.5 million of the cost. The pavilion originally was built in 1935, with no real work on it done since a little repair after a fire in the early 1990s.

Larry Plummer, Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent, told the board as they get closer to the endgame of the remodel, he thought it would be good to get the board members thinking about rental rates for the facility.

“It’s going to be a different animal than we had before because it was all or nothing before, and now we’ve got a conference room and a main room” and both of the rooms can be rented at the same time, he said.

The board was presented with a chart with the rental fees boxes empty to be filled in later. Monday through Thursday, the full facility or the main room is rentable all day.

Monday through Friday, the conference room is rentable all day for four-hour blocks, according to the chart. “We decided that, we talked as a group, that maybe we ought to offer a four-rental for that conference room because, a lot of times, businesses don’t want to use it all day, but if we had a four-hour rate, maybe we could get more conference use in there for that,” Plummer explained.

Board member Michelle Boxell asked how many people would the conference room seat. Plummer estimated 60.

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the full facility only is rentable or the main room is rentable. “We don’t want to just have the conference room tie up somebody not renting the whole facility. That’s our thinking behind that. We feel offering the conference room as a … four-hour rental would provide the better renting experience for the businesses’ morning, noon and evening meetings. However, we would like to keep it limited to Mondays through Fridays so it doesn’t interrupt the full rentals on weekends,” Plummer said.

He stated they want to limit the use of the conference room to meetings and conferences and not an alternative to “small birthday parties and things like that.” The conference room is carpeted with a lot of technology. If someone rents the full facility, Plummer said that would be fine for them to use the conference room. He said there were better alternatives, however, than just using the conference room for small events like birthday parties.

“It’s not really designed for a party room, is it? That’s what you’re saying,” Board Vice President Larry Ladd said.

Plummer agreed.

A damage deposit also would be required for any rental.

In the old pavilion, the rental was Monday through Thursday, $200 with a $100 damage deposit; and Friday through Sunday, $400 with a $300 damage deposit.

Plummer said the board can gauge off those old rental fees to get some ideas. Administrative assistant Suzanne Stokes has reached out to other places that rent facilities, he said, and the board will be provided with those comparisons to help them make the decision of where they want to set the rental figures.

“I just felt it was necessary to get it on your radar and start moving this and be prepared so that when the building is complete, we have those rates in place,” Plummer said.

Ladd asked how many times have they had to withhold the damage deposit due to damage.

“Prior to COVID, we did every now and then. It wasn’t every month or something like that. It was a few times a year, either partial or full,” Plummer said. During the COVID pandemic, before the renovations started, it was “very limited.”

“But this is a brand new facility,” Ladd said.

Boxell asked if a person rents the full facility for the day, if the wall between the conference room and main room folds back to make one big room. Plummer responded, “It’s actually a button you push and it retracts up into the ceiling and makes one big conference room.”

Plummer said there are projection screens on both walls so anyone sitting at the round tables can see one of the screens. There is a big screen in the conference room that can be tied into that as well.

“It’s pretty extensive. We’re trying to get it as nice of a system that we can get and still be user friendly,” he said. They don’t want people to go into the facility and not understand how to use the audio-visual equipment. “We’re going to have screens with simple touch buttons and hopefully they will get the experience they want out of it.”

Ladd asked if they’ve received calls about renting the pavilion. Plummer said Stokes has had several calls, but rentals have not yet been taken because rates have not been set yet and the remodel completion date is not for sure.

Board President Steve Haines asked if the remodel would be done in August. Plummer said for all purposes, yes, as they’re on schedule.

Plummer said they will revisit the pavilion rental rates at the March board meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, Plummer gave the board an update on the progress of the pavilion’s renovations.

“Construction has remained steady over the winter months. Demolition and removal work is complete. Foundations and framing are nearing completion. The HVAC, electrical, plumbing work is moving along well, looking to wrap that up in the next couple weeks and start closing walls in. The final details are being coordinated,” he said, including colors and signage in front of the building.

On the technology aspect of the renovations, Plummer said they just met with All Pro Integrated Systems for the audio-visual.

By March, the contractor expects to be on the exterior siding and the drywall work will be tackled. The months of April and May will be busy, Plummer said, with “detailed finishing activities,” with June and July being used for final flooring, painting touch-ups and inspection.

Plummer said he met with Graycraft Signs Tuesday and a proposal was sent to the Zimmer Biomet Foundation on what the sign will look like.

“It is going to be called the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion – that’s what it’s going to be called. We’re working on the sign design and we’re very close to that. We’re looking at individual letters that will be backlit with LED lights at night, so we’re working on that as well,” Plummer stated.