Full Forecaste

Past Month's Most Commented Stories

Home > Area News

Facelift slated for Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitors Center

Monday, June 23, 2008 12:14 AM PDT

By Tony Lystra
tlystra@tdn.com

Font Size:
 
 

The struggling Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitors Center will be closed next winter for a much-needed facelift that will give it a more upscale look, county officials say.

The county-owned facility overlooking Mount St Helens is expected to close between September and March while work crews refurbish the building, according to Mike Moss, the director of the Cowlitz County Conference Center at the fairgrounds.

Moss's team will also now manage Hoffstadt Bluffs.

County commissioners have talked for months about opening a more upscale restaurant and other new amenities at the center on Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. A just-completed county report puts those plans into writing for the first time.

When the center opened 12 years ago, it "was the gem of the county's park system. Today, the facility is in dire need of a facelift and management transformation," Moss wrote in the report.

Initially, the county plans to invest $395,000 for new furniture, kitchen equipment and repairs, according to the report.

The center would include leather chairs and sofas near the fireplace "for a warm, lodge-style setting," the report said. And the restaurant will include seating on the center's 4,000-square-foot deck during warm weather. The basement, the report said, could be used for a theater or wine cellar.

The county could offer overnight stays at the center by building cabins, yurts and an RV park, according to the report. Hoffstadt Bluffs will now accommodate weddings and meetings. It may also include an amphitheater, rope course and barbecue pit.

The plan calls for hiring a full-time facility manager, whose salary would be funded by revenues from the county's lodging tax. The center would also employ three full-time gift shop and banquet staff.

The center is expected to earn nearly $116,000 in profit in 2009, according to the report.

Tourism has been waning in recent years along State Route 504, and commissioners said they hope rejuvenating the center will give it a boost.

The county built the $3.1 million center in 1996. It has been managed by an independent contractor, and commissioners had been trying to sell the building. But commissioners changed their mind this year and decided to take the stone-and-timber facility off the market.

"Putting the stewardship of this facility in our hands allows us the opportunity to sell additional days, excursions, retreats and dinners at Hoffstadt Bluffs to the patrons of the Cowlitz Regional Conference Center," Moss said.

The center's proposed new hours are 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between May 1 and Sept. 30 and five days each week (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 1 through April 30.

Previous Next

bizowner wrote on Jun 23, 2008 7:31 AM:

" If its going to be profitable why use Lodging Tax dollars to pay the Manager ? Spend Lodging Tax dollars for marketing our region and support private enterprise - don't compete against us. Gift shops ? Yurts ? RV Park ? Restaurant ? Is operating and competing against these businesses our County Governments new direction ?
Commissioner Candidates - where do you stand ? VOTE !! "

Beer&Skittles wrote on Jun 23, 2008 8:44 AM:

" HELLO Bizowner! You must not be much of a business owner if you think competition is a bad thing. Just more stuff to bring people up the mountain a ways...If your business doesn't increase because of it, you should seek a professional's advise regarding your operation. There are tens of thousands of wonderful publicly-run facilities across the country that do nothing but put money in the hands of other 'complimentary' businesses - as well as the public coffers. "

bizowner wrote on Jun 23, 2008 9:42 AM:

" Beer & Skittles - you are right on if its a public attraction/destination that draws people and is marketed as such like JRO, SeaQuest, NW Trek, etc. If you are just using tax dollars to operate services to compete against private enterprise that IS marketing then all it does is put the complimentary businesses out of business. "

smartblonde wrote on Jun 23, 2008 10:00 AM:

" This is rediculous! They cant even run the Cowlitz Regional Conference Center right... and now they are going to take on this big project?!?! Big waste of time and money! It's sad that the lodging tax funds any of these venues when they aren't even doing what they said they would and supporting the local businesses that have to support them. The Conference Center was designed to bring in large business and conferences that wouldn't otherwise come. They aren't exactly doing that. They just added a venue that spreads the existing business around more. It's too bad that they are now wanting to take on this extra task. I just can't imagine spending this kind of money on a lost cause. "

viper wrote on Jun 23, 2008 10:45 AM:

" well once again comon sense kicks in
in these trying times and people hard pressed for money and 5.00 dollars a gallon for gas one would have to think why would anyone travel all the way
up there to spend 20.00 per person for a meal ? up scale restruant? .when you can't bring them up there with what you are charging now ? and we all know our goverment can't run a business does the mustang ranch in reno ring a bell the goverment couldn't even sell sex !which
everybody wants except some of them old prudes. rasing the price is not the answer and spending more tax dollars after bad ideas does not cut it either
better business managenment is what is needed . I was there last weekend and I wouldn't even go in the building now that is what you want to change .changeing the color of a diaper doesn't make it smell any better Viper "

tjhere wrote on Jun 23, 2008 11:11 AM:

" I think an RV park and camping would be an excellent idea. Especially with high gas prices it gives us something more ocal to do without traveling too far. It would need to be set up and open for all...preferably year -around if the restaraunt will be in operation all year now! "

viper wrote on Jun 23, 2008 12:37 PM:

" up scale gotta laugh ! try catering to the poor people . why is everything structured for the rich , the poor people are the backbone of the country everyone knows that, but nobody wants them , but they want there tax dollar to benifit only the rich, better management is what is needed not an expenseive face lift everyone I know stops and eats at castle rock or longview & Kelso before ever going up there . more wasted goverment spending if it ain't profitable throw more money at it seems to be the goverments answer to everything .what happens. if the facelift don't work do, we get our tax dollars back ? yeah right it , will be a cold day in hell before that happens. try takeing a min.wage job and taking your family up there on it you can't thats what needs to be addressed higher prices is not the answer! the higher the prices the less people will come :Viper "

viper wrote on Jun 23, 2008 12:55 PM:

" Here is an idea . what would bring people up there . how about a recreation area. where people can bring there family up and and ride atv's and dirt bikes and some hikeing trails and a camp ground . it is proven that people get hungry after a hard and exciting day of playing . with the bluff resturant right there they are more than likely to stop and eat there before going home. this would be better for the people and for the business'es up there as we all know there is no where here to play and it involves the famly structure just throwing an Idea out there for you besides it what we need .look into it "

Louie wrote on Jun 23, 2008 12:56 PM:

" Imagine if you built a house and in 12 years it was in dire need of repairs. Face-lift? Paint probably but I feel to have to spend nearly $400,000 on a "face-lift" after only 12 years says to me original construction was below par. I can understand new furniture because of heavy use but it is my understanding the large viewing windows all leak. More government at work in wondrous ways with out money. Do it right the first time and maybe you won't have to keep taping the public to fix what should have been better constructed in the first place. "

Girth VonPhister wrote on Jun 23, 2008 2:05 PM:

" What a ridiculous waste of money. Unemployment is fast approaching 9%. Gasoline is nearly $5.00 per gallon and virtually EVERY County and city department is crying poverty. I said it before and I'll say it again.. They're just polishing a turd. These commissioners must go!!!! If they're so confident that this bird-brain plan will make money, let them invest their own nest eggs and give the 400K back to us taxpayers.. "

Aconserve wrote on Jun 23, 2008 2:10 PM:

" Not only is the Hoffstadt Vistor Center a waste of time and money so is the whole SR504. The dead end road has huge visitor center that's shut down, never to open again, waste?? You think??? "

luke the drifter wrote on Jun 23, 2008 3:41 PM:

" The biggest problem with the eastern end of the county is that there are no places to spend the night past Castle Rock. There are no motels. If a nice lodge-type motel was built up there, I think it would be a destination. Something along the lines of the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson. Another thing would be a nice golf course along the North Fork with views of the mountains. Golfing weekends are popular with people. "

questionman wrote on Jun 23, 2008 3:42 PM:

" TDN can you please post the "plan" from the county. Does the profit figure include an expense for rent, a loan payment or depreciation? Current staff get a daily gas allowance, is the county going to gift public funds to the new employees also? "

bizowner wrote on Jun 23, 2008 3:42 PM:

" This $400,000 is in addition to the $325,000 they spent last fall to start fixing it up. Plus the Lodging tax dollars for salary....and that doesn't include the bells and whistles on the drawing board ( wine cellar, movie theater, cabins...... )

Good to know our County is so flush. I feel sorry for other Counties that have to worry about money for roads, schools, law enforcement, public health and safety and the like - poor things. Probably can't even afford their own restaurant. "

Cheney119 wrote on Jun 23, 2008 4:07 PM:

" SELL IT!!!! This is not the county's job! It's money down a rathole. $5 a gallon gas means deminshing revenue. What a waste. It's 30 miles from the real attaction, the mountain and 30 miles from your year round customers. Why will this money be a good investment? "

Tired of thinking of user names wrote on Jun 23, 2008 5:09 PM:

" I second Luke the drifters opinion. There needs to be accommodations, and longer hours in the evening for people to have dinner, drink wine, then go to their cabin. "

Beer&Skittles wrote on Jun 23, 2008 5:59 PM:

" VIPER: Before you slap me upside the head, allow me to duck - but not from the truth. Many businesses don't cater to the poor because they don't spend money for heaven's sake! Many spend money on cigs and beer, otherwise the essentials - hence the tag "poor". You are doomed as a business if you don't shoot for people with disposable income, unless of course you're a mini mart. If you have disposable income, by definition, you're not poor. "

cheney119 wrote on Jun 23, 2008 7:41 PM:

" Cowlitz Regional Conference Center is the example. An unnecessary money losing bondogle which the Daily News characterized as being run as a Mom and Pop Operation. That's an insult to mom and pop. What makes anyone think that Hoffstadt Bluff will be any better? There's a reason they work for the county, nowbody else will hire them. Good grief sell it, if it needs improvement let the buyer do it. Don't stick the taxpayer. The novelty is gone, tourism is waning. "

Loowit wrote on Jun 23, 2008 9:05 PM:

" I remember once a certain buziness owner claiming when the County put in a huge restraunt next door that he and the other little guys on the road would drive them out of business. Looks like that just about happened too, with a couple private enterprises on the Highway doing quite well and the USFS and County struggling. No problem for the County though, they just throw more tax money at it to subsidiZe their enterprize. People need mmore real things to do, not more places to shop! "

KelsoLesbian wrote on Jun 23, 2008 9:08 PM:

" How can the small business owner compete when they are using tax dollars to employee their staff. Seems kind of like cheating to me. "

Loowit wrote on Jun 23, 2008 9:27 PM:

" Question: who is the largest most profitable retailer in the USA? Is it Macy's? Or JCPenny? or Abercrombie and Fitch? NOT! its WALMART by a mile. Here's an idea. All hotel/motel/campground owners boycott refuse this tax in protest to subsidizing the competition. Its ok for the County to use that $$ for trails in the Wildlife area, or for recreation maps, or SNOWPARKS, or to add playgrounds, public fishing docks, purchase right-of-ways to recreation areas or add restrooms along major tourist routes. "

viper wrote on Jun 23, 2008 11:20 PM:

" beer& skittles thank you correcting me .
I'am not here to hurt anyone feeling .I just to look at the humor side. I don't have tell them there makeing a fool out them selfs, because that job is already taken they are doing by them selfs!
I'm Just pointing out!! Viper HaHa "

PandeRing wrote on Jun 24, 2008 4:13 PM:

" To Girth Von....., You have lost me. Isn't the mantra that you spend money to make money? Tourism is a $20Million annual business in Washington. The dollars being used are tourism dollars gained from travelers passing through, not the locals. Tourism is an industry too. Why not use these dollars to bring in more tourism, since we're told it can't be used for anything else? Remember Rister Stadium? I agree that SR504 could use the traffic. Castle Rock suffers when no one stops. After all not every traveler is "Hopeless in America". Wasn't it reported that one of the candidates IS a Tourism Advisory Board member. He probably did give the concept an A-ok, but it wouldn't hurt to ask when we have a chance. "

bizowner wrote on Jun 24, 2008 9:12 PM:

" The Tourism Advisory Board was not included in any part of the formulation of this plan. We only know what we read here. This plan isn't about tourism. The tourists coming to Mount St. Helens will have little interest in what is being planned for the Hoffstadt Restaurante' and exercise park. "

Top Jobs
More Top Jobs
Top Garage Sales
More Top Garage Sales
Top Rentals
More Top Rentals