Another upgrade
Pact between local club, Ontario may pave way to fixing second floor of historic local fixture
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:35 AM PST
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| The outside of the Ontario Train Depot, situated at 300 Depot Lane. The second story of the depot may be seeing a revamp in the future, courtesy of Ontario’s Basque Club. |
Ontario — The Ontario Train Depot, which has long been a fixture of Ontario’s past and present, may be on the verge of a revamp, courtesy of another Ontario fixture the Ontario Basque Club.
Ontario Basque Club Treasurer Frank Yraguen said he met with Ontario City Manager Henry Lawrence and Ontario Public Works Director Chuck Mickelson last week to discuss potential work on the Ontario Train Depot’s second floor.
“It was supposed to be the station master’s quarters,” Yraguen said.
However, work on the second floor of the depot, situated at 300 Depot Lane, was never completed, Yraguen said.
“We thought of fixing that and being able to use it for whatever we can make use for,” he said.
Yraguen said he plans to meet with subcontractors before bringing the presentation to the City Council.
“We don’t have any plans scheduled yet,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said, while he does not have any specifics on the plans yet, he has met with Mickelson, Yraguen and Ontario Facilities Manager Yorick de Tassigny regarding the potential project. He also said a building permit has not been filed for the project as of yet.
“Nothing has really happened on it since we had the meeting,” Lawrence said. “We’ve just been busy.”
The Basque Club has leased the western part of the depot since the Ontario City Council approved a pact with the club in 2006, according to city documents. These documents also state the club first became interested in the space in 2005 because it did not have a permanent club location.
Conditions of the 99-year lease included the club taking responsibility for remodeling the north wing, which the club accomplished through grants from the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain and fundraising efforts. The club would also be responsible for cleaning and all costs of relocating the Union Pacific offices to an adjacent parcel, which cost approximately $40,000. The lease also said the club would be responsible for one-third of the utility bills.
Lawrence said any additional changes will require another look at their lease agreement with the city, which changes to the lease made as needed.
“We are working to ensure the project meets the terms of the lease and all building code requirements,” Lawrence said in his recent city manager report.
Yraguen said he plans to come before the council with a presentation about the project in early December with the newly elected council members involved in the discussions as well.
At the 2006 meeting, the council decided “due to the historic/cultural heritage of the Basque Club, it was felt that this might be a good opportunity to tie one of the city’s historic landmarks to a local group with a rich heritage and historic roots in the area.”
The Basques first came to the Oregon/Idaho area in the 1890s.
The Ontario Basque Club first began as a woman’s organization in 1947, with the club’s first meeting held at a boarding house.
However, since 1994, men have also been invited to join the club’s ranks.
The Basque Club celebrates the historical culture and traditions of seven provinces on the French/Spanish border. Members must either be of Basque descent or married to someone of Basque decent. The club is also involved in a number of community events such as Global Village and the Annual Benefit Dinner Dance, which the organization has held since 1948.
The council also saw another benefit in the lease besides encouraging the historical heritage of the area. City documents from the time also cite the opportunity to rehabilitate the north portion of the depot while also having a tenant to provide the day-to-day cleaning of the depot.
The depot was built in 1907 and has been visited by presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
During both World Wars, the facility handled civilian and military freight and passengers.
