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The old motel Gorilla Villa, located on Route 5 at Zulauf Road in Gravois Mills, was being torn down last week after its purchase by the board of trustees of the village of Gravois Mills.
On June 24, the board of trustees closed the deal on Gorilla Villa, buying the 1940s era building and property for $20,000 cash, according to chair Brad Vold.
The less-than one acre lot is the first piece of real estate owned by the town. The board does not have its own city hall building. For many years, it met at Ship’s Marina before moving its regular monthly meeting to Water’s Edge Motel in the last couple of years.
The old motel, which had seen better days, was torn down to make way for a city park. Local contractor Calton Brothers Construction was the low bidder for the demolition at $12,000.
The board will likely put in some picnic tables to provide people with a place to relax while enjoying lakefront downtown Gravois Mills, according to Vold. Close by is a diner, mini-mart and antique shop as well as the Missouri Department of Conservation public boat access. The park could also be a place to hold small events.
Other than that, the trustees have a lot of ideas and are keeping their options open for the future, Vold said.
The park may be developed further, maybe with a water wheel in honor of the town’s grist mill history, and could also be a future site for a city hall.
The current project is being funded by the half-cent capital improvement sales tax passed in November 2009. The revenue from the tax averages about $1,500 per month. Some of the money is coming out of operational reserves, which will later be paid back as the capital improvement tax refills its coffers.
The town’s general operating budget is funded by a one-cent sales tax, providing an annual revenue stream of $30,000-$40,000. With reserve funds, the village has about $100,000 in total assets, according to Vold.
The park project is all part of the board’s efforts to clean up the town and give it a facelift, Vold said.
In the early days of tourism in the area, after Lake of the Ozarks was created by the construction of Bagnell Dam in the early 1930s, Gravois Mills and the immediate surrounding area was a bustling little burg with popular music shows, restaurants and small resorts and motels. But in recent decades, that popularity has faded, leaving the town and its surrounds struggling economically.
The old motel Gorilla Villa, located on Route 5 at Zulauf Road in Gravois Mills, was being torn down last week after its purchase by the board of trustees of the village of Gravois Mills.
On June 24, the board of trustees closed the deal on Gorilla Villa, buying the 1940s era building and property for $20,000 cash, according to chair Brad Vold.
The less-than one acre lot is the first piece of real estate owned by the town. The board does not have its own city hall building. For many years, it met at Ship’s Marina before moving its regular monthly meeting to Water’s Edge Motel in the last couple of years.
The old motel, which had seen better days, was torn down to make way for a city park. Local contractor Calton Brothers Construction was the low bidder for the demolition at $12,000.
The board will likely put in some picnic tables to provide people with a place to relax while enjoying lakefront downtown Gravois Mills, according to Vold. Close by is a diner, mini-mart and antique shop as well as the Missouri Department of Conservation public boat access. The park could also be a place to hold small events.
Other than that, the trustees have a lot of ideas and are keeping their options open for the future, Vold said.
The park may be developed further, maybe with a water wheel in honor of the town’s grist mill history, and could also be a future site for a city hall.
The current project is being funded by the half-cent capital improvement sales tax passed in November 2009. The revenue from the tax averages about $1,500 per month. Some of the money is coming out of operational reserves, which will later be paid back as the capital improvement tax refills its coffers.
The town’s general operating budget is funded by a one-cent sales tax, providing an annual revenue stream of $30,000-$40,000. With reserve funds, the village has about $100,000 in total assets, according to Vold.
The park project is all part of the board’s efforts to clean up the town and give it a facelift, Vold said.
In the early days of tourism in the area, after Lake of the Ozarks was created by the construction of Bagnell Dam in the early 1930s, Gravois Mills and the immediate surrounding area was a bustling little burg with popular music shows, restaurants and small resorts and motels. But in recent decades, that popularity has faded, leaving the town and its surrounds struggling economically.
The first project included cleaning and reconfiguring some of the ditches in town which were causing flooding problems. The previous problem spots, one of which was on Route 5, have not flooded this year despite heavy rains this spring and summer.
Passing noxious weed and waste ordinances last summer, the board had the goal of cleaning up some properties that they deemed blighted and a hazard to public health. All 13 of the pinpointed properties have been improved, according to Vold, with the board stepping in with enforcement action on two.
The board also chipped in $10,000 last year to revamp the ballpark on Troutdale Road, which is held in trust for the enjoyment of the community and is run by its own directors.
Contact this WestSide Star reporter at amy.wilson@westsidestar.net.
