SALEM–The parks commission discussed potentially renovating a pavilion at Centennial Park into an enclosed structure in its meeting Wednesday.

Commissioner Don Yeasted prefaced the discussion by stressing that the potential renovation was something to be considered as a project for 2027, noting that an enclosed pavilion would have to have its own restroom and be fully compliant with the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act and that both would be costly improvements. He said that he is frequently asked about the possibility of the department building a fully enclosed pavilion at Centennial Park that could be rented for events. Yeasted suggested that if the department were going to renovate one of the existing pavilions that pavilion two would be ideal as it already has functioning electricity, is already enclosed on one side, and is located centrally between both the playground and pool.

Parks Director Kelli Pastore raised concerns that an enclosed pavilion would increase the department’s maintenance costs. She argued that the department would need someone to check and clean the interior restroom year-round, while the department currently shuts down the restroom during the Winter. She also argued that having an enclosed space with a restroom would exacerbate existing security and vandalism issues at the Centennial Park pavilions.

Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey suggested that the pavilion could be locked when not in use, and that the rental fee for the enclosed pavilion could be set to ensure that it offset those additional maintenance and security costs. Dickey, Yeasted, and Commissioner Lori Colion also suggested that an enclosed pavilion would be able to accommodate more types of events than an open pavilion, and that it could be rented for events during Winter which could help offset increased maintenance costs. Dickey also suggested that local community organizations might be willing to pay a portion of the renovation costs in exchange for being able to use the enclosed pavilion for meetings, or to have it named after the group.

The commissioners ultimately agreed that an enclosed pavilion should be considered as a “wish list project,” and that after obtaining quotes for the necessary renovations the department would seek public feedback on if an enclosed pavilion was something that residents would be interested in using and renting regularly.

The parks department will close at noon on Christmas Eve and will be closed all day for Christmas and on Dec. 26.

The parks commission will meet next at 5 p.m. on Jan. 28.