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Replace Visitor Center Theater and Multipurpose Room
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument » Replace Visitor Center Theater and Multipurpose Room » Document List
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument hosts 90,000 visitors annually. These visitors enjoy educational programs and archeological sites within the park. Between 1910 and 1941, nine buildings were constructed within the known site boundaries of Compound A (Arizona State Museum Archeological Site Number AZ AA:002:014) to house visitor services, staff and administrative functions. The Visitor Center was constructed in 1931 as an adobe block structure with detached bathroom facilities and an ornamental garden. In 1963-1966, an L-shaped addition was designed and constructed at the south end of the building. This addition enclosed an ornamental garden within a central plaza and incorporated bathroom facilities into this larger building. In 2009-2011, the park will conduct analysis to determine the best use of existing space within the Visitor Center. The current square footage for this building is approximately 8100 square feet. Visitor services have already identified a need for as much as 1500 square feet of additional air conditioned space for visitors to attend public programs, and view an informational video before touring the sites.
In accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument would like to solicit input early within the design process for a building addition. We are in the process of contracting with the Gila River Indian Community Cultural Resources Program for Phase 1 archeological testing and data recovery. Phase 1 archeological testing and data recovery conducted in 2008 will determine the extent of previous disturbance from historic building episodes and identify any intact features. Information gained from Phase 1 testing and data recovery will guide the project planning team in their efforts to design a minimally intrusive and architecturally compatible addition.