Octagon Barn-Bob Jones Pathway Groundbreaking
Author: Shaun Cooper
Date: 9/1/2017 4:44 PM
Groundbreaking Ceremony for Octagon Barn Site Improvements, Bob Jones Pathway and South Higuera Left Turn Lane.
The County of San Luis Obispo, in cooperation with the Land Conservancy of SLO County, broke ground today on the Octagon Barn Site Improvements, Bob Jones Pathway Staging Area, and South Higuera Left Turn Lane construction project. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Octagon Barn site, located at 4400 Octagon Way. The Land Conservancy manages the Octagon Barn site and has partnered with the County to enable construction of a public trailhead and staging area to serve the Bob Jones Pathway and the Octagon Barn Center located on South Higuera Street.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Supervisor Adam Hill remarked “This has been a labor of love by so many folks devoted to our county's history. And to now see it moving forward as a hub of many practical uses, is like a gift to the community from its past." This phase of the project will cost approximately $2.5 million and will construct improvements at the Octagon Barn Center including site grading, the parking lot, and the widening of South Higuera Street with the addition of a left turn lane to serve the Octagon Barn site. S. Chavez Construction, Inc., is the contractor for the project and work is expected to begin on September 5, 2017 and be complete Winter 2017/2018.
These improvements are part of an overall effort by The Land Conservancy to restore the historic barn and revitalize the site for community benefit. The Octagon Barn itself has been restored and additional structures on site are planned. Once completed, the Barn Center will be permitted to host 300 events per year including educational tours, corporate and non-profit events, films, dances, weddings, and concerts.
The entire project is estimated to cost about $5.5 million, of which much has been raised through community grants and donations, and partnerships with local businesses and government organizations. The Land Conservancy needs to raise the remaining $350,000 from Conservancy members and the local community. Kaila Dettman, Executive Director of The Land Conservancy, announced today that a group of major donors have offered to match the next $100,000 raised to help complete the fundraising goal.
The Land Conservancy of SLO County and the County of San Luis Obispo have worked collaboratively for many years to develop various segments of the Bob Jones Pathway. The County operates and maintains approximately 2.5-miles of the existing Bob Jones Pathway spanning from the County’s Ontario Road staging area, westward to Avila Beach. The County has been working with the Land Conservancy to extend the Bob Jones Pathway from the Ontario Road staging area northward to the Octagon Barn site. This new portion of the Bob Jones Pathway will be approximately 4.5-miles long, and construction is estimated to cost approximately $10 million.
For more information regarding the County of San Luis Obispo's partnership in the project, and the Bob Jones Pathway project contact Shaun Cooper at (805) 781-4388.
For more information regarding the Octagon Barn Center's project plans, community benefit and ways to support the completion of the project, contact Kaila Dettman, Executive Director of The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, at (805) 544-9096 ext. 13.
