Gridley’s Veterans Memorial Hall sits in need of roof work. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The historic Veterans Memorial Hall (VMH) has been a landmark in our community for just over a hundred years.

The 10,000 Sq. ft building is owned by Butte County and is the meeting place of both Gridley’s American Legion Post 210 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5731. The two groups are relegated to the front meetings rooms of the building for their activities as the heart of the structure remains out of commission due to a collapsed roof.

The section of the VMH roof that has fallen through is relatively small in comparison to the size of the building, but repairing it isn’t a simple process.  Mike Hodson, Butte County Director of General Services says that once they got into the building and their contractors began to assess the damage, there were more necessary repairs besides the hole in the roof. “It ended up being a much greater scope than we had money for originally,” says Hodson.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors approved roughly $700,000 in past years to begin the process of replacing the roof and related repairs. Recently, they revisited the project and designated $2.5 million from the PG&E settlement fund to complete the historic buildings renovations.

“I’m glad to see that building get saved, but it needs a lot of work.” Hodson optimistically shares, “I’m looking forward to it being a usable building. There isn’t a better term for it (VMH) than ‘iconic building’, not only in its location, but its history.” He continues, “What a great asset – You walk in the hallway, and it just echoes of memories and history. As a 25-year Marine Corps vet, that is just a neat thing for the community and for the veterans.”

The plans and engineering are already in place. “Most of what we need to do is already known,” says Hodson, and shares that now the project is at the mercy of the weather. Since we are headed into the rainy season, construction work is not expected to start until possibly spring/summer of 2024.

Hodson added that Butte County Supervisor Tod Kimmelshue has been instrumental in securing funding for the hall’s roof replacement project.  Speaking with the supervisor, it is clear that he is dedicated to seeing the hall reinvigorated and returned to its status as an active community hall and venue.