Wildwood Golf Clubhouse in Charles City “Still Serving Its Intended Purpose” after Almost 100 Years

Built almost 100 years ago, the clubhouse at Wildwood Municipal Golf Course in Charles City is showing its age. However, it’s also still showing signs of life, according to Pete Franks with The Franks Design Group.

That’s Franks last week giving the Charles City Park-Rec board his assessment of the clubhouse. He also presented possible plans for renovating the facility that could extend that life by decades.

Franks’ proposal calls for keeping the clubhouse largely intact, but it would also mean lifting the building to construct a new foundation underneath, which is in poor condition and is the biggest need for the facility’s survival. Other items include insulation, electrical, and HVAC work and perhaps a new kitchen. The price tag: about $3.9 million.

At that price, some Board members proposed phasing in the work over time to spread out the cost. Mayor Dean Andrews cautioned that approach.

The City could build a new clubhouse, likely for much less than renovation, but after Frank’s presentation on his assessment of the Clubhouse, Board members like Bob Kloberdanz were open to both options.

Last month, the Park-Rec Board also heard from Atura Architecture on possible approaches to upgrading the Wildwood Clubhouse, with proposals ranging from $1.2 to $2.9 million. The Park-Rec Board took no action, with discussion to continue at future meetings.