Aerial view captured from a video posted by the County shows the progress on the Cayucos Vet’s Hall. That’s the parking lot in the upper left corner, and to the right of the building is the new Pier Plaza with the iconic Dolphin sculpture by Dale Evers. Courtesy SLO County
Though it may seem like watching paint dry, the County is making good progress on its project to rebuild the Cayucos Vets Hall and return the community’s heart to its original appearance, albeit built to modern codes and standards.
And if readers would like a sample of the job, the County has posted a drone video of a flyover and circling of the hall pointing out the various aspects and features that hadn’t been on the building since the last time it was rebuilt, decades ago.
New features include signs along the roof ridge displaying the general goods sold at the original Cass Warehouse, which was a shipping hub for local ag products on coastal steam ships along with the pier starting back in the 1870s.
The County has leased the Vets Hall, Pier and beach from State Parks for over half a century and when the Vet’s Hall was found to be in disrepair and potentially dangerous it fell on the County to fix it.
In 2016, the Vet’s Hall was in trouble after the floor underneath the stage started to collapse. The County closed it after an inspection revealed a serious failure of the foundation below the stage and walls that were no longer properly connected to the massive roof.
This ground level photo taken from the Pier, shows the work being done on the new west entrance of the Vet’s Hall.
The concern was that a big enough windstorm could blow the roof off the building, which was first closed by the County and later condemned by the State Architect’s Office.
After decades hosting everything from rock concerts, to weddings, the Annual Portuguese Festa, public meetings and more, the community was left without one of its historic icons and the elementary school became the location for public meetings and events.
The fix has been a major undertaking that had its estimated costs soar to over $11 million and because of the historic nature of the building, triggering preservation efforts that helped costs to soar.
It also had to be raised 2-1/2 feet to satisfy new building requirements that address sea level rise.
Drone video capture looks at the new bell tower and signs along the roofline. Courtesy SLO County
So instead of simply bulldozing the building and building anew, it has been carefully taken apart; the framework lifted and moved off its foundation. A new foundation was built underneath it, including dozens of new support piles driven into the sand or poured in place. The new Vet’s Hall will have an extended and expanded walkway around the building and a new back entrance/exit has been installed facing the ocean.
The construction contractors, JG Contracting of Nipomo with design and engineering by architectural firm Studio Design Group Architects, Inc. of San Luis Obispo, moved the building back onto its foundation last year.
The work hit significant delays last January as fierce storms, which busted loose some of the Pier’s newly installed support piles, caused significant damage to the roof, and put the job back a few months. But with clear weather for months now, progress is speeding up.
The Vet’s Hall’s new roof and siding are complete, according to Shelly Cone, the spokeswoman for County Public Works.
But with the bare wood look, the hall sports now is attractive, almost rustic looking, the project calls for it to be painted white, as it was in its heyday.
The project is also returning the town’s alarm bell (originally used to signal volunteer firemen), back where it belongs, atop the Vet’s Hall.
It had been in a belfry atop the Cayucos Fire Station a block away but was returned to the Vet’s Hall and is now a focus of the building’s profile. The County took the occasion of a major remodel of the old firehouse to make the change.
Another prominent feature of the “Cayucos Pier Plaza” is the iconic dolphin statue by Cayucos native and famed artist Dale Evers. “The Great Communicators” as the piece is named, remains where it always was but next to a taller Vet’s Hall and rebuilt plaza, it doesn’t look as big.
When completed, the Vet’s Hall will return to its cherished place as the heart of “The Town that Time Forgot,” but this time the County Recreation and Parks Department will be responsible for leasing the building out and for maintenance into the future.
To that end a citizen’s group has formed to raise money for the extras the hall will need to return back to its full range of functions. Those include: a portable stage, benches for the deck, assisted listening and sound system, tables and chairs. To contribute see: restorecayucosvetshall.org.
To see the YouTube video posted by the County go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwM81AI6srg.
