Clore Center Coming to Life

Clore Center Coming to Life. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center is slowly coming to life. They have been raising funds and applying for additional building grants and are getting very close to starting a portion of the project according to Bud Mercer, co-chairman of the Center.

MERCER: We’re going to build the infrastructure that will support the finished building when it’s completed and we’re going to start that here shortly, I think around the first of August.

The Center has been trying for some time to get things off the ground and Mercer says things are about to get very busy.

MERCER: We did a groundbreaking about 2 years ago and then it was decided to not begin construction until we had all the money raised. And so we just have never gone any further but we’re in a little more interesting spot now in that the funding is in place to do this landscaping and infrastructure portion and so we’d like to do that and that will give us a venue for several functions that were planning on locating at the Clore Center, that will be outdoor functions.

As for the actual Clore Center:

MERCER: As far as the building itself goes, what will be the main building, we’re about I guess 60% funded on that building and we have an application in for a federal economic development authority grant that we expect to hear something on here late summer or fall and if it comes through then we’ll be fully funded on the building and be able to start that. So the landscaping, lawn and infrastructure is going to go in this summer and hopefully we’ll be able to pick right up and start the building around the first of the year.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.