Celebration held for new Lakeport community center
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Friday, community members and city officials gathered to celebrate the city of Lakeport’s latest accomplishment – the acquisition of a new community center.
On March 29, the city officially acquired the former Bank of America building, located at 500 N. Main St., as a donation from the company, as Lake County News has reported.
During the Friday celebration, local, state and federal leaders hailed Bank of America’s donation of the building to the city as the result of a unique partnership, and an important development that will have big benefits for the community.
“This is a very exciting day for the city of Lakeport,” said City Manager Margaret Silveira.
Lakeport Mayor Tim Barnes said the building – reported to be 6,400 square feet – is now the largest meeting space in the city.
He thanked other city leaders and offered special recognition to Silveira, who when she saw the building go vacant, wondered about the possibilities of a new community center, made numerous calls, filled out paperwork and made contact with company officials including Jason Foster, who was on hand for Friday’s celebration.
“Not only did you ask the right question, but we came up with the right answer,” Foster said.
He said they’re aware of the challenges Lakeport has faced, and he’s glad about how the donation will improve the community. Foster said he’s looking forward to seeing what the city does with the building.
“This is an incredible opportunity for this community,” State Sen. Mike McGuire said.
He added, “This is an innovative partnership between the bank and the city of Lakeport,” and one that transitions the building into the long-awaited community center.
Laura Beltran of Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s office also lauded the donation as evidence of a unique partnership, and in a video shown at the ceremony, Congressman Mike Thompson congratulated the city on an “exciting milestone” that’s part of its revitalization.
Bank of America closed the branch – its last in Lake County – in November 2017.
The bank had a branch in Lakeport since 1930. The city reported that A.P. Giannini’s Bank of Italy opened in Lakeport at the southwest corner of N. Main Street and Second Street in February 1927, becoming Bank of America three years later.
The branch later moved to the N. Main Street location in 1969, the year it was built.
When the new branch opened, the key of the old Bank of Italy building was presented to branch Manager Bill Bergem in October 1969.
Bill Bergem died in July 2011 at age 89. His son, Rick Bergem, chief of the Lakeport Fire Protection District, found that gold key in his father’s belongings.
On Friday, Rick Bergem brought the key, framed, to present to a delighted Mayor Barnes.
Rick Bergem said his father worked for Bank of America for 42 years, and had passed up promotions that would have required he move his family to the Bay Area because he wanted to raise his children in Lakeport.
Bill Bergem served as manager of the local Bank of America branch for 22 years. Rick Bergem pointed to a back corner of the building where his father’s desk sat.
As part of the ceremony, the city unveiled a bronze plaque to mark the building’s donation, which recognizes Bank of American and includes the formal date of acquisition and the names of elected city, county, state and congressional representatives.
Silveira said the city has been busy taking out the bank’s counters and doing some cleaning. However, there is more work to be done and she said it will be awhile before it’s ready to be open to the public for events.
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