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Knights of Columbus rebuilding
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SHAMOKIN — When torrential rain hit the city on June 27, 2006, it appeared a final blow might have been dealt to the Knights of Columbus.
Water had accumulated on the flat roof at the organization’s Shamokin Street headquarters that evening, and disaster followed. The roof collapsed, and the second and first floors pancaked into the basement, ruining furniture, equipment and just about everything else in the Knights meeting rooms and social hall.
The building would be condemned by the city.
At a meeting the next week, however, the Knights vowed to rebuild. It took more than 28 months, but that is now happening.
Construction has begun on a one-story building that will take the place of an empty lot at Independence and Rock streets and help brighten the northern end of Shamokin’s downtown district.
The building, targeted for completion in March, marks a new beginning for the club.
“The Knights of Columbus has been a part of Shamokin for many years, supporting many community projects, and without a complete building we couldn’t do that,” said Deputy Grand Knight Joe Choker. “The new building will give us the opportunity to do much more for the community and offer more to our members and Shamokin.”
He said the Knights debated for some time about whether to repair the Shamokin Street building or find a new home.
“We were in a building where there was no room to grow, and the facilities were outdated,” the club reasoned. “So we decided to rebuild.”
A committee was established to find a new location, with one important restriction: that the building stay in the city.
The committee, led by Grand Knight Bill Koshinskie and Choker, with Dave McGlinn, John Klemick, Ray Primerano, Tony Billis, Dan Neary and Steve Chernago as members, began their search.
“We started looking at a number of different properties, and there were half a dozen sites that we looked at possibly building on,” Choker said. “But they just didn’t work out.”
The Knights also took notice to an empty piece of ground a mere one block away from their Shamokin Street location. The former home of Conn’s Garden Cafe had been razed many years ago, and the corner lot sat empty.
“We passed by that site over and over again, but it looked too small,” Choker said.
But the Knights would study it more closely.
“It’s actually 5,900 square feet, and we need 5,200 for our building,” Choker said.
With that, the purchase was made, and construction began at 400 E. Independence St.
Keystone Masonry of Shamokin is doing the excavation and concrete work, and Dontom Construction, also of Shamokin, is the general contractor.
The one-story structure will have a banquet hall that will accommodate 120 to 130 people and double as a meeting quarter, Choker said. The handicap-accessible building also will have two offices, a social quarters and a modern kitchen.
The Knights take comfort in the fact that the insurance payout from its previous building was enough that the new building can be constructed without the organization going into debt.
In the end, the disaster of June 27, 2006, will become a blessing.
“We want to hold functions here, but just don’t have the room,” Choker said of the current location. “With our new building, we will be opening it up to the community, and welcome those who want to come here with open arms.”
Water had accumulated on the flat roof at the organization’s Shamokin Street headquarters that evening, and disaster followed. The roof collapsed, and the second and first floors pancaked into the basement, ruining furniture, equipment and just about everything else in the Knights meeting rooms and social hall.
The building would be condemned by the city.
At a meeting the next week, however, the Knights vowed to rebuild. It took more than 28 months, but that is now happening.
Construction has begun on a one-story building that will take the place of an empty lot at Independence and Rock streets and help brighten the northern end of Shamokin’s downtown district.
The building, targeted for completion in March, marks a new beginning for the club.
“The Knights of Columbus has been a part of Shamokin for many years, supporting many community projects, and without a complete building we couldn’t do that,” said Deputy Grand Knight Joe Choker. “The new building will give us the opportunity to do much more for the community and offer more to our members and Shamokin.”
He said the Knights debated for some time about whether to repair the Shamokin Street building or find a new home.
“We were in a building where there was no room to grow, and the facilities were outdated,” the club reasoned. “So we decided to rebuild.”
A committee was established to find a new location, with one important restriction: that the building stay in the city.
The committee, led by Grand Knight Bill Koshinskie and Choker, with Dave McGlinn, John Klemick, Ray Primerano, Tony Billis, Dan Neary and Steve Chernago as members, began their search.
“We started looking at a number of different properties, and there were half a dozen sites that we looked at possibly building on,” Choker said. “But they just didn’t work out.”
The Knights also took notice to an empty piece of ground a mere one block away from their Shamokin Street location. The former home of Conn’s Garden Cafe had been razed many years ago, and the corner lot sat empty.
“We passed by that site over and over again, but it looked too small,” Choker said.
But the Knights would study it more closely.
“It’s actually 5,900 square feet, and we need 5,200 for our building,” Choker said.
With that, the purchase was made, and construction began at 400 E. Independence St.
Keystone Masonry of Shamokin is doing the excavation and concrete work, and Dontom Construction, also of Shamokin, is the general contractor.
The one-story structure will have a banquet hall that will accommodate 120 to 130 people and double as a meeting quarter, Choker said. The handicap-accessible building also will have two offices, a social quarters and a modern kitchen.
The Knights take comfort in the fact that the insurance payout from its previous building was enough that the new building can be constructed without the organization going into debt.
In the end, the disaster of June 27, 2006, will become a blessing.
“We want to hold functions here, but just don’t have the room,” Choker said of the current location. “With our new building, we will be opening it up to the community, and welcome those who want to come here with open arms.”
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