Update on the Pavilion Project Drop your Change Campaign

Last spring Josef Stanek came to the land committee with a proposal. His idea was a challenge for our membership to raise $20,000 toward the building of a band shelter/pavilion. If we could do that, he would donate a sum of $10,000 (a 50% match) to the fund in honor of his late wife, Brenda Stanek. At that time, he requested a Memorial Plaque naming Brenda Stanek, be placed in the structure as a remembrance to her. Brenda was a great supporter of ABATE of WI and of the land. The gauntlet was thrown and ABATE took up the challenge.

We met that challenge quickly and far exceeded the $20,000 we originally needed for the 50% match. To date we have a total of $44,350 in the Pavilion Fund, with another possible $10,000 available from the Dan Frantz Land Development Fund. During the initial fundraising phase, the Land Committee began soliciting structural ideas and material bids. As we all know, with the current market rates on building materials as well as the current supply chain lag, the price to complete construction changes every week. It was originally thought that we could purchase materials and hire a local contracting crew (Amish?) to put the building up at a cost of approximately $65,000 – $70,000. Not so. The Land Committee hit a few snags in doing further research.

#1 – Because we are using the building for a variety of reasons including the Summer Hummer and will have a potential attendance of anywhere from 750 – 2,000 people under it – we need State of Wisconsin approved plans. That means the hiring of a structural engineer to design the pavilion adding a minimum cost of $5,000 to the total figure before we even begin.

#2 – ABATE Acres is north of Hwy 10, which means there is an increased snow load that needs to be considered when constructing the pavilion.

#3 – ABATE Acres also has been known to experience substantial winds – therefore we need to build in accordance for the possibility of wind shear, especially if the future generations of ABATE are interested in closing in the sides of the pavilion at any time. This means that the posts need to be cemented into the ground in a very specific way to accommodate for both snow load and wind shear.

#4 – Because this building is basically a steel structure, we need to cover the underside of the roof with a vapor/noise barrier to prevent reverberation when we host musical and other entertainment.

#5 – The Land Committee is considering an upgrade by using Starwood rafters. This kind of rafter has a plywood type covering on the underside which will prevent anything that flies from building nests or homes in the rafters, causing subsequent problems which is common with open rafters. If you have noticed, the gate building needed to be outfitted with netting underneath the roof to prevent birds from nesting and dive-bombing gate workers during the Hummer – not to mention the mess they leave behind. A 60′ X 120′ building would need a large amount of applied netting and would need yearly maintenance to repair or replace. These Starwood rafters are an additional cost of approximately $8,500. ABATE will determine if these Starwood rafters could replace the need for #4 above – a vapor/noise barrier.

Because of the parameters we are working with, and because ABATE wants to build the best building we can with the future of ABATE Acres in mind, the project is not only taking longer to plan and erect than originally expected, but it is also becoming more expensive than we originally thought.

We will NOT have this project completed by Summer Hummer 2022. The Land Committee is hopeful of being able to break ground in the fall before the frost hits but that means we need to determine how the increased costs will be paid for – whether the balance be bank funded, ABATE self-funded, or through additional donated contributions.

ABATE needs to further our commitment in completing this project.

This land is your land. Your opinion will be considered when the board makes a funding decision. If you feel strongly one way or another about how to fund the balance of the construction costs, please forward that opinion to Worm, Land Committee Chair, at

Robert.Grasse59@gmail.com -or to- abatewis@abatewis.org.

Let’s fire up and do this! Pass the hat at your meetings or events. Donate an additional $15 to the Pavilion Fund when you renew your memberships. Have members “Drop Their Change” in a jar at home every night and bring it to the Hummer. How many big pickle jars of change could we fill?