Litchfield Park scouts continue to seek funds, labor for new lodge
Halloween gathering gives visitors a preview of proposed $1.2 million building in Scout Park
Noah Flug/Independent Newsmedia
Scouts shake hands beside a chalk outline and temporary wall display of their proposed new lodge Oct. 31 at Scout Park in Litchfield Park. Organizers are seeking money, materials and donated labor for the project.
Noah Flug/Independent Newsmedia
Maricopa County Supervisor Debbie Lesko poses with Meredeth Stucky and other supporters Oct. 31 at Scout Park in Litchfield Park. The gathering showcased plans for a new Scout Lodge.
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And it’s a really good organization to teach our children about the qualities of life that help make a community great.”
Local scouts spent Halloween morning playing games in Scout Park, where chalk lines and a temporary wall offered a preview of their proposed new lodge.
But turning that outline into a building will take more money, materials and donated labor.
Meredeth Stucky, president of Litchfield Park Scout Lodge Preservation Inc., said fundraising had made little progress in recent weeks.
“Not a lot,” she said when asked how fundraising had progressed.
Stucky also had hoped for a larger crowd at the Oct. 31 event.
“I was hoping for a lot more people,” she said.
More than a dozen scouts attended the gathering, which gave visitors a chance to see the planned building’s design in the park. Architectural renderings showed what the finished lodge could look like.
Maricopa County Supervisor Debbie Lesko, a former U.S. representative, also attended.
“Scouting is part of our community.” Lesko said. “And it’s a really good organization to teach our children about the qualities of life that help make a community great.”
A cost sheet displayed at the event estimated the project at about $1.2 million, with an adjusted cost of $707,100 after listed contributions and reductions.
The adjusted estimate included $25,000 for framing labor, $35,000 for electrical work and $18,000 for drywall labor. Architectural plans, engineering services and roofing were among the items marked as confirmed in-kind gifts.
Built in 1954 by town founder Paul W. Litchfield, the exisitng lodge at 299 W. Fairway Drive is home to Troops 90 and 99, which serve nearly 200 youths combined.
The city owns the exisiting lodge and land. City Manager Matthew Williams previously said no governing body had formally approved its demolition, although the city eventually envisions a parking garage on the site.
A memorandum of understanding calls for the current lodge to remain until a replacement is built.
Plans for the new lodge call for a 2,060-square-foot meeting hall, a covered patio and a 1,067-square-foot garage with two trailer doors.
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