Mozingo board tours conference center weeks before completion
City Manager Greg McDanel shows off the main room of the Conference Center at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park during the November Mozingo Advisory Board meeting Monday. The facility is expected to be completed December 12 for public use at the start of 2018.
The Mozingo Advisory board held their monthly meeting Monday evening at the Conference Center at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park for a tour of the updated facility just weeks before its completion.
City Managers Greg McDanel and Ryan Heiland led the board members, along with a handful of Mozingo Lake staff, on a tour where they explained in detail the use for each space.
With many of the walls already painted, McDanel said he was told recently that the facility is expected to be completed by December 12 for the city to hold a staff event December 15. Public usage of the facility is still expected to be at the start of 2018.
“We have subcontractors just waiting for us to contact them whenever we’re ready for them,” McDanel said during the tour, referring that everything left to do is scheduled to be completed as the to-do list gets checked off.
The highlight of the tour was the main conference room which will house one-to-four conference rooms with retractable walls to divide the 500-person room if needed. Northwest Audio Visual is in the process of installing the electronic equipment which includes touch-panel screens which will access up to four separate projection screen systems depending on how many events are happening at once.
Stepping onto the back deck, the board members witnessed the sunset from the balcony overlooking Mozingo Lake. Heiland pointed out that the covered balcony is wired for possible outdoor televisions.
Another highlight of the tour was the restaurant space. McDanel said the finalization of the restaurant lease should be within a couple of weeks for the unveiling of who will be at the conference center.
Lastly, the board was shown the space where the public will be able to access two golf simulators. Heiland noted that the area will be complete with bar tables so that the space can comfortably hold up to 14 people for small gatherings to either hang out and play digital golf, or for groups looking to improve their swings.
“We had extra space down here adjacent to the pro shop and Greg, Kyle, and myself discussed different options for it,” Heiland said. “We decided a golf simulator might be a great asset and Kyle set to looking into possible options. Lately he’s been working with TruGolf on possible options and we’re excited to see what this space will become.”
McDanel added that hourly rates will be set at a later time for the simulator. He envisions the space to be used by anyone working on their form, or groups looking for a fun atmosphere provided by places like Topgolf.
The awe-inspired group was reminded that the facility passed by a narrow five votes, something McDanel said he and the staff has used as motivation as the project has gone on.
“We’ve had people come through as the project has gone on, even after the silo was removed, and explain to me that they were initially against the idea of this,” McDanel said of the conference center. “But when they came out here and saw the potential for this, they told me everything changed for them and their perspective on what this could do for Mozingo.”
McDanel said that a public open house date is in the works.
City Staff and Mozingo Board members view the sunset off the newly constructed balcony overlooking Mozingo Lake.
The newly constructed Conference Center at Mozingo Lake will overlook the lake, as well as the redesigned stage that will be fashioned out of the base of the silo that once stood as the icon of the lake.
City Manager Greg McDanel shows off the restaurant space whose occupant will be unveiled in a couple of weeks after a lease agreement is finalized.
The golf storage facility in the basement will be enough space for the existing fleet and more. The space could also be used as a storm shelter if needed.
