Months of renovations and years of planning will culminate with the grand public reopening of Myrtleford's Memorial Hall this Friday, 31 October.
Community members are being invited to join Alpine Shire Council for the festivities between 1pm and 2:30pm and help celebrate the $1.2 makeover the hall, which has stood prominently in Myrtle Street for 100 years.
Friday's celebration will include information about the renewal process, a presentation detailing construction work involved and a short demonstration of the new audiovisual equipment.
Speeches will commence shortly after 1pm, after which attendees will have the opportunity to explore the hall at their own leisure, with light refreshments provided.
Community members are also encouraged to visit the Myrtleford Visitor Information Centre, which has been newly relocated to the hall and will be open during the official opening for all to enjoy.
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Alpine Shire Mayor Cr Sarah Nicholas said the upgrade has helped transform the hall into a modern, multipurpose, and flexible community space that is inclusive and accessible to all.
She said the building now has an access ramp, access steps, hand railing, tactile ground indicators, wheelchair accessibility, and entry and wayfinding signage, as well as automated doors, and people with a disability or additional needs will also benefit from new accessible toilets.
Albury-based company Joss Facility Management Pty Ltd carried out the renovations and project manager Andrew Carey said overall there were no major challenges during construction.
"Some small issues were found during the demolition, but of course being an old building, once you start pulling down walls and ceilings, you find some things to work through," he said.
"However, working together with the Alpine Shire, we got through them fairly quickly.
"We first received the tender through the Alpine Shire Council, on 29 January this year and the works have taken approximately eight months.
"A lot of local contractors were used during the project, which we normally aim to do when we've worked with the Alpine Shire on projects in the past."
Mr Carey said the old feel of place was retained, but the public could appreciate how modern the site has become.
"It will be a great facility for the public," he said.
"These spaces with new amenities can be rented out to the public, with the hall itself, the area out the back and an upgraded kitchen.
"There's also a new space for the Myrtleford Visitor Information Centre.
"It's a well-designed and modern building the town can be proud of."
Former president of the Myrtleford and District Historical Society, John Taylor OAM, said the dates line up almost perfectly for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Myrtleford Memorial Hall in 1925.
"On 13 October, 1925, the hall was opened thanks to the hard work of the community, who raised 400 pounds from WWI onwards for the new building," he said.
"I'd like to acknowledge the efforts of those people and also the sacrifice and enlistment of a lot of local people in the years following.
"In the 1940s, 50s, 60s and onwards, people were really able to participate in that building
"It was an excellent building, with a dance hall, movie house and more; it had everything people needed.
"With the onset of television, the MH began to fall away in it's usefulness and then became very still, which is quite sad really.
"In recent years, the small group of people who wanted to do something with the building and contacted the local and state governments, are now being rewarded.
"It will become the new visitor gateway to town."
Council contributed $250,000 to the hall's upgrade, with the remainder funded by Victorian and Commonwealth governments for the project.
