By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

Columbia Hall recently received an extreme makeover, courtesy of Robert Mattes and the Hopkinton Recreation Department.

After the nonprofit community center, which had previously occupied Columbia Hall, closed in August due to lack of funding, the town decided the site would be ideal for recreation department activities until a new town-run community center could be built at Houston Fields.

“The decision was pretty simple,” said Mattes. “I needed to have a home to start running programs and activities and this building was vacant. Renovations were so inexpensive that it would have been foolish not to utilize it.”

The refurbishing project, which cost only $2,000, consisted primarily of painting, said Mattes, adding that every wall in the building has already been repainted or will be in the near future.

“Lots of painting, lots of cleaning, lots of degreasing, just stuff like that. Really, it’s just cleaning it up and giving it a facelift,” said Mattes. “If we had bid it out, it would have cost over $20,000 to do everything we’ve done right now.”

All the work was done by volunteers, including selectmen Chairman Louise Carr and her family.

“Basically, there has just been a lot of sweat equity put into this, a lot of long hours and a lot of late nights,” said Mattes.

The roof is also being repaired, but is a separate project, he said.

Many organizations and programs have already started moving into the building, including the Boys and Girls Club of Hopkinton and Boy Scouts.

“We have a lot of interest in starting programs and getting people active here to try to get the building open more and more,” said Mattes. “We’re really just getting our feet wet and getting started here.”

In addition, Mattes’ office is now located in the building and senior lunches, tai chi, aerobics and other activities continue to take place at Columbia Hall as well.

Other town services located in the building, including Dial-A-Ride and human services, will relocate to the Slusser Senior Center when it opens in the spring, leaving the building solely for recreation.

If and when a community center is built in Houston Park, Mattes said the town will most likely sell Columbia Hall, though that is at least three to five years down the road.