MEDFORD, Ore. -- The Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) received a $500,000 grant from the Oregon Legislature to develop a new event center.
SOHS said the event center will be located downtown Medford in the old JCPenney building. According to SOHS, the event center will become the newest hub for cultural, educational and community events in Southern Oregon.
"The community needs this," said Ron Kramer, executive director of SOHS. "There's nothing else like it."
The building will be able to hold more than 250 people and will be able to hold a variety of events including historical exhibitions, educational workshops and community gatherings.
In a news release, Kramer called the grant a "game changer" and thanked both the local community and local legislators for the opportunity.
"This generous grant from the Oregon State Legislature not only supports the preservation of our rich historical heritage but also propels us forward in making history accessible and engaging for everyone," Kramer said in the release. "We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to enhance our cultural and educational impact."
SOHS still needs to raise more than $350,000 before renovations can begin. To donate, click here.
The old JCPenney building was built in 1948 and needs renovations, according to Kramer. However, SOHS plans to keep the building's historic bones and Art Deco flare.
"It's keeping the history of the building but also an elegance," Kramer said." If you think about a Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire movie from the 1930s, stepping into that kind of world, that's what the space will be like."
The new event center will also feature an SOHS museum. Along with keeping the old building's history alive, Kramer said the event center will allow SOHS to continue telling Southern Oregon's stories.
"History is storytelling. Our job is to tell stories," Kramer said. "The point is we have a huge bank of material about Southern Oregon regional history that we can share again once we have the museum recreated."
