 | | | Judy Dinkle at the Pavilion. Photo Sophie Braccini
| | | | | | The Pavilion is a charming art deco building located at the Hacienda de las Flores, off Donald Drive in Moraga. It used to be the pool house of the Rheem family-what is now a lawn was then a pool. The Moraga Parks and Recreation Department, which manages the rental of the Hacienda for weddings, would like to be able to rent out the Pavilion as well. However, the structure is not ADA compliant; it also needs a make-over and some drainage work to avoid flooding. Thanks to a partnership between the town and the Hacienda Foundation the entirety of the necessary work is now funded and approved. The Pavilion should be ready for the opening of the wedding season in May.
"The Pavilion has had bathrooms on the verge of failing for a while," explains Judy Dinkle of the Hacienda Foundation. "In addition, we needed to make the building ADA accessible. So we partnered with the town to finance the improvement plan together."
The foundation worked with local architect Steve Forster to design two new bathrooms, one of them large enough for someone with a wheelchair. The plan also includes an ADA access ramp and a drainage system. "When we had so much rain last year we noticed that the reason the Pavilion was flooded was not the creek, it was the water rushing down the road that leads to the Hacienda," explained Dinkle. "We are attempting to remedy this with a new outside trench drain."
On March 6, the town council approved a $58,000 contract for the bathrooms, and accepted a $10,000 donation from the Hacienda Foundation. "We are also giving the art deco chandelier that we obtained to replace the existing lighting," said Dinkle, who donates her work as a general contractor.
Many aesthetic improvements are coming along with the structural work: the bath floors will be replaced with Carrara tile which will match the existing marble fireplace mantle in the main ballroom; all sink vanities, toilets and fixtures will be replaced; the original redwood paneling and mirrored light above the "Old Hollywood" bar area will be restored, and the main ballroom will be painted to showcase the original stucco.
"Rental of the Pavilion should allow the town to balance the cost of the Hacienda," says Dinkle. The Hacienda Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed by residents who love and want to preserve the historical building as a community center for Moraga.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA