CCC lodge renovation among big news for Roaring River
The historic CCC Lodge at Roaring River will get $1.25 million in renovations to convert the lodge into guest rooms with an anticipated finish date of 2016.
September 24, 2014
Charlea Mills
Some big changes are coming to Roaring River State Park, according to announcements made by the director of Missouri State Parks Bill Bryan. Among those changes will be a total renovation of the CCC lodge and a more publicized opening day of trout season in 2015.
The annual informational meeting at Roaring River was held on Wednesday, September 17, at the Emory Melton Inn and Conference Center. The meeting was open to the public and featured speakers from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Roaring River and Bryan. The exciting announcement about the conversion of the CCC lodge into guest rooms will open a part of history to park-goers, according to Bryan.
He stated, “I’m paying attention to what people are saying about the park. We’re doing the right things for the park, and it will all pay off in the end.”
The initial plans for the project show the lodge to contain 10 guest rooms, some of which will feature the existing fireplaces located along either end of the building. Each of the rooms will have a kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom along with a Murphy’s bed for extra sleeping. The design within the rooms will incorporate a historic interior design and a common room on the bottom floor.
The renovations aren’t expected to be completed anytime soon, Bryan explained. “We have set directives that we have to follow regarding the bidding process and so on, but I’m hopeful that it will be ready for Opening Day 2016,” he said. As far as a budget or idea of the cost, Bryan said that all is still up in the air. The current construction budget is $1.25 million. Missouri State Parks expects to put the project up for bid in coming weeks and go from there.
This special project is funded by an allocation of General Revenue from the State. The Missouri General Assembly approved a budget item for a $20 million allocation for the Department of Natural Resources for state park and historic site maintenance, repair, renovation and construction projects. However, around 3/4 of the standard funding for Missouri State Parks comes from a constitutional 1/10 cent tax for parks, soils and water. Use fees from the parks also goes into providing the funds necessary to keep the parks system running.
Bryan stated, “Our first project goal is to have the construction contract signed by the end of the fiscal year which will be in June 2015. While I hope it is sooner than that, but that is our goal.” Like the other facilities in the park, the CCC rooms will be managed by Missouri Parks, Incorporated, locally run by general manager David Waugh.
Another announcement made during the informational meeting was exciting news for the park. Opening Day 2015 at Roaring River will be the site of a taping of a nationally televised fishing show. While Bryan was mostly quiet about the details until everything can be confirmed, he did say that the show normally features bass fishing, so they will probably take the crew to Table Rock Lake as well as Roaring River.
The show will be taped on Opening Day and shown at a later date on the Outdoor Network. Bryan said, “This specific show is on weekly and is sponsored by a major national organization. It has regular viewership, and this is a tremendous opportunity for us to share Roaring River with others all over the country.”
Bryan also stated, “I’ve been to all of the trout parks on Opening Day. They’re all great, but there’s something special about the connection down here with Cassville and the park. It’s something people don’t forget.”
Charlea Mills
Some big changes are coming to Roaring River State Park, according to announcements made by the director of Missouri State Parks Bill Bryan. Among those changes will be a total renovation of the CCC lodge and a more publicized opening day of trout season in 2015.
The annual informational meeting at Roaring River was held on Wednesday, September 17, at the Emory Melton Inn and Conference Center. The meeting was open to the public and featured speakers from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Roaring River and Bryan. The exciting announcement about the conversion of the CCC lodge into guest rooms will open a part of history to park-goers, according to Bryan.
He stated, “I’m paying attention to what people are saying about the park. We’re doing the right things for the park, and it will all pay off in the end.”
The initial plans for the project show the lodge to contain 10 guest rooms, some of which will feature the existing fireplaces located along either end of the building. Each of the rooms will have a kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom along with a Murphy’s bed for extra sleeping. The design within the rooms will incorporate a historic interior design and a common room on the bottom floor.
The renovations aren’t expected to be completed anytime soon, Bryan explained. “We have set directives that we have to follow regarding the bidding process and so on, but I’m hopeful that it will be ready for Opening Day 2016,” he said. As far as a budget or idea of the cost, Bryan said that all is still up in the air. The current construction budget is $1.25 million. Missouri State Parks expects to put the project up for bid in coming weeks and go from there.
This special project is funded by an allocation of General Revenue from the State. The Missouri General Assembly approved a budget item for a $20 million allocation for the Department of Natural Resources for state park and historic site maintenance, repair, renovation and construction projects. However, around 3/4 of the standard funding for Missouri State Parks comes from a constitutional 1/10 cent tax for parks, soils and water. Use fees from the parks also goes into providing the funds necessary to keep the parks system running.
Bryan stated, “Our first project goal is to have the construction contract signed by the end of the fiscal year which will be in June 2015. While I hope it is sooner than that, but that is our goal.” Like the other facilities in the park, the CCC rooms will be managed by Missouri Parks, Incorporated, locally run by general manager David Waugh.
Another announcement made during the informational meeting was exciting news for the park. Opening Day 2015 at Roaring River will be the site of a taping of a nationally televised fishing show. While Bryan was mostly quiet about the details until everything can be confirmed, he did say that the show normally features bass fishing, so they will probably take the crew to Table Rock Lake as well as Roaring River.
The show will be taped on Opening Day and shown at a later date on the Outdoor Network. Bryan said, “This specific show is on weekly and is sponsored by a major national organization. It has regular viewership, and this is a tremendous opportunity for us to share Roaring River with others all over the country.”
Bryan also stated, “I’ve been to all of the trout parks on Opening Day. They’re all great, but there’s something special about the connection down here with Cassville and the park. It’s something people don’t forget.”
