Banning's Haven Art Center continues toward reality

By Cindy Watson
Record Gazette

On the corner of San Gorgonio Avenue and Ramsey Street are a few clustered buildings. These buildings, built from 1918 to 1922, are now undergoing an extreme makeover to unite them and turn them into the Haven Art Center.

The project is the undertaking of two distinct ownerships. Rob Freeman and Dirk Dorning are the owners of the Odd Fellows building. The owners utilized the City's Owner Program Agreement (O.P.A.) for three units of the building(s) with funds totaling $685,000.

Under the O.P.A., funds provided to project must be matched by the owner or exceed the amount received for improvements to the structure. One example of where money has gone on this historic renovation project was an issue that was found during renovation - that the second story of this building had virtually no support. The owner then added an expansive (and expensive) new wooden support system to their building.

When the second owner, a 501C3 nonprofit corporation, applied for a façade grant at the 33 S. San Gorgonio Ave. property, the city council was a bit taken back. There are two projects that will unite to become the Haven Art Center. The funds allocated by the city did not cover the entire project, as it is two separate owners, and separate buildings.

At a recent Banning City Council meeting a new proposed facade grant in the amount of $254,000 was up for a vote. Council member John Maschic said, “I am a little concerned about the message we will be sending the city when they look at what we have ... a nearly $1 million project.”

Each member of the council expressed their own opinion before the vote, Debbie Franklin said. “These are buildings that we really want to go forward on.” This was a reduced proposal from the Corporation on a façade request; they had originally requested $395,000. The council unanimously agreed to move forward at the $100,000 per building façade side, awarding the grant to the nonprofit corporation for a total of $200,000.

The current façade grant is for the 4 Him Ceramic Studio. The two faces of the building that the grant deals with are the parking lot façade on the south and the San Gorgornio façade east. The rendering proposed shows the parking lot façade will include the addition of windows to the building and the entrance to both owners units which will connect three of the four downstairs units via the Galleria Walkway. The walkway will run south to north through the 4 Him Ceramic Studio to the Artisans Gallery and into the coffee shop. The unit to the west (just next to the Fox Theater) will be a book and gift shop. The units will all tie into to an outdoor patio, where some may chose to go outdoors and sip their coffee perhaps while they watch an artist at work.

Rich Lopez is an employee of the nonprofit corporation, Haven Art Center. He is also the artist behind the 4 Him Ceramic Studio. One of the many items that have Lopez excited is the fact that they will be a distributor for Laguna Clay. Ceramic artists, teachers and hobbyist seek Laguna Clay. Lopez believes this product alone will bring people in from Indio to Redlands, who currently travel to the City Of Industry and the current closest distributor.

The ceramic studio will offer fine art, custom lamps, custom tiles in a variety of style and forms, architectural art, and a variety of fine ceramic art. The studio will host a potters wheel, 2 electric kilns and a gas fire kiln on the patio. The studio will offer classes and is looking for a soft opening in mid- March and its grand opening to coincide with the Art Hop this April.

Freeman and Dorning own the additional three units. Dorning described the Haven Art Center as their tenants. They look forward to working with the city and going forward to the completion of this project. Depending on the process with the city the owners are looking for an opening in August/September of this year.

Next door to the ceramic studio will be the Artisans Art Gallery. Lopez is responsible to oversee the gallery. The gallery will host a variety of artists and events, and will be open to hosting separate events in and for this city.

The Haven Bean Coffee Shop is going to be a relaxing style of sofas and chairs along with tables. This shop will offer a variety of coffees, beverages, soups salads and cold sandwiches.

The bookstore and gift shop will host a variety of books, for all ages. It will also offer a variety of gift items such as candles, collectables and more.

Owner Dirk Dorning commends the city and its council for their vision to move forward with this project and commence with the improvement of downtown Banning. “I am proud to be a part of it ... I have been waiting 20 years.” Part of what excites Dorning is that he envisions the Haven Art Center as “a reason for people to pull off the freeway for something besides gas and food.”

You may have noticed the brick beginning to poke out of the old plaster façade, while inside so much has been going on. Walls have been stripped out to original brick; flooring has been removed to make room for new. Alterations to old plumbing, electric are taking place, all with careful attention to maintain old charms of history such as the tin tiled ceiling that is in the process of being restored.