Historic Jimtown Gymnasium reopens as Craig and Teneen Dobbs Jimtown Community Center
JIMTOWN, Ind. -- Baugo Community Schools held a ribbon-cutting and public open house for the grand reopening of the Historic Jimtown Baugo Gymnasium on Tuesday afternoon.
Officials say the $3.5 million renovation project was made possible through public funding, including a $350,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, and major contributions from local donors, led by Bruce and Sandy Clark, matched by Craig and Teneen Dobbs.
The project, constructed by R. Yoder Construction, features modern infrastructure upgrades like elevator, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, while preserving the building's signature elements.
Nate Yoder, Director of Business Development for R. Yoder Construction, said, "Yeah, what's been really fun is to look at some of the older pictures, some of the historic pictures of back when they were playing games and the Jimtown school used this facility, to be able to compare that to what it looks like today. Did a really good job. The architects and designers did a good job to maintain that historical significance of the place. So, it's been neat to go, to go to those specific parts in the facility and kind of align them with historic pictures. It's been really fun to watch."
The building was initially constructed in 1929 and has now been repurposed to meet contemporary community needs.