Randy Frantz of Bremerton-based Miller Sheetmetal Inc. works on overhead interior piping on Tuesday at the Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Randy Frantz of Bremerton-based Miller Sheetmetal Inc. works on overhead interior piping on Tuesday at the Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Work on interior of Field Hall begins

Center to open to public next July

PORT ANGELES — Field Arts & Events Hall will open to the public as a regional performance and conference center on July 1, 2023, the executive director has announced.

Work on the final phase of construction on the 41,000-square-foot project at Oak and Front streets in Port Angeles began Monday.

“The resumption of construction on Monday is a dream come true for our board and staff,” said Brooke Taylor, president of the board of directors, in a press release.

The finished structure will include a 500-seat performance venue and 400-person conference center.

Work on the center had been paused in April 2021 to focus on fundraising. Now, more than $40 million has been raised of the approximately $50 million project.

“We are now full steam ahead as we enter the final phase of our capital campaign and that of construction,” said Steven Raider-Ginsburg, executive director, in the release.

“This week is a milestone week for downtown Port Angeles,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.

“We’re on our way to complete the largest nonprofit building and investment in county history.”

The service area for the center is expected to be from Forks to Port Townsend, while advertising will spread over a wider circle from Victoria to the Interstate 5 corridor, Raider-Ginsburg said.

He spoke of the numbers of people from Clallam County to East Jefferson County for Centrum events and other entertainment.

“I think we’ll have a nice reciprocal cultural exchange on an ongoing basis,” he said.

Workers are from Clallam, Jefferson or Kitsap counties, according to Chris Fidler, project manager.

“I’m personally excited about restarting the project,” Fidler said Tuesday.

“We have over 200,000 craft hours involved with this work, and much of those are coming from folks who live and work on the Olympic Peninsula,” he said.

Raider-Ginsburg said he had coffee and muffins with the workers on Monday and “every single contractor and worker was living on the North Olympic Peninsula.”

Work was paused after all exterior work was completed. Now, it will focus on finishing the interior, such as outfitting the auditorium, installing equipment and seating and doing ceiling work, Fidler said.

Kyle Paulen, project executive with Seattle Operating Group, Mortenson Construction, said that the company was glad to see work resume.

“The community and Field Arts and Events Hall continued to push forward and successfully restart the project,” said Paulen, who lives on the Olympic Peninsula.

He described the building of the center as “a truly amazing story of resilience despite unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic.

“The team collectively stayed engaged, waiting for the opportune moment to finish what we started,” he continued.

“This resilience is also evident with our trade partners. Of the 47 trade partners contracted to execute the project, over 95 percent resumed their original contract with 100 percent participation from local trade partners.”

The capital campaign will run for another 12 months, finishing up by end of next summer, Raider-Ginsburg said.

He said that bookings are being pursued now but won’t be contracted, and announced, until after the first of 2023.

For more information, see www.fieldhallevents.org, email info@fieldhallevents.org or call the office at 360-477-4679.

________

Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.

Matt Johnson of D.L. Henricksen Co. looks up interior ceiling fixtures of the Field Arts & Events Hall on Tuesday in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Matt Johnson of D.L. Henricksen Co. looks up interior ceiling fixtures of the Field Arts & Events Hall on Tuesday in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

More in News

Code Enforcement Officer Derek Miller, left, watches Detective Trevor Dropp operate a DJI Matrice 30T drone  outside the Port Angeles Police Department. (Port Angeles Police Department)
Drones serve as multi-purpose tools for law enforcement

Agencies use equipment for many tasks, including search and rescue

Sequim Heritage House was built from 1922-24 by Angus Hay, former owner of the Sequim Press, and the home has had five owners in its 100 years of existence. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Sequim’s Heritage House celebrates centennial

Owner hosts open house with family, friends

Haller Foundation awards $350K in grants

More than 50 groups recently received funding from a… Continue reading

Operations scheduled at Bentinck range this week

The land-based demolition range at Bentinck Island will be… Continue reading

Weekly flight operations scheduled

There will be field carrier landing practice operations for aircraft… Continue reading

Jefferson County lodging tax committee to meet

The Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee will discuss… Continue reading

Restrictions lifted on left-turns near Hood Canal bridge

The state Department of Transportation lifted left-turn restrictions from… Continue reading

Community Thanksgiving meals slated this week

Several community Thanksgiving meals will take place this week. They include: FORKS… Continue reading

Two people were displaced after a house fire in the 4700 block of West Valley Road in Chimacum on Thursday. No injuries were reported. (East Jefferson Fire Rescue)
Two displaced after Chimacum house fire

One person evacuated safely along with two pets from a… Continue reading

A Port Angeles city worker places a tree topper on the city’s Christmas tree, located at the Conrad Dyar Memorial Fountain at the intersection of Laurel and First streets. A holiday street party is scheduled to take place in downtown Port Angeles from noon to 7 p.m. Nov. 30 with the tree lighting scheduled for about 5 p.m. (Emma Maple/Peninsula Daily News)
Top of the town

A Port Angeles city worker places a tree topper on the city’s… Continue reading

Hospital board passes budget

OMC projecting a $2.9 million deficit

Lighthouse keeper Mel Carter next to the original 1879 Fresnel lens in the lamp room at the Point Wilson Lighthouse. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)