Garberville Vets Hall Rebuild Clears Final Hurdle
The troubled history of Garberville’s veterans hall is in the past with a Board of Supervisors approval that clears the way for reconstruction. Daniel Mintz reports…
By Daniel Mintz | KMUD News | May 8, 2025
The quest to replace the John Haynes Memorial Veterans Hall in Garberville is advancing to reality nearly a decade after the building was closed. On Tuesday, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a $3.8 million bid award for reconstruction on Conger Street, where the original hall once stood before being demolished in 2023.
The hall was closed in 2016 due to mold and structural issues stemming from prolonged neglect. That history of deferred maintenance was central to this week’s board meeting and vote.
Board Chair Michelle Bushnell, whose district includes Southern Humboldt, acknowledged the project’s steep cost amid financial constraints.
“I know this is a lot of money, and given our budget, budgetary constraints that we are going into, I understand people’s concerns,” Bushnell said. “However, I’m adamant that we, you know, are responsible for some of the most of what happened to the vets building with deferred maintenance… And I understand that we have promised them for 10 years, 10 years it’s been going on that we’re going to do something… This community deserves this. These veterans deserve this. And it’s not just a Veterans Hall. It’s a community center for so many things in Southern Humboldt.”
Supervisor Rex Bohn also spoke in support, recalling years of delay and rising costs:
“You know, in May of 2016 we shut this building down. It was 2012 or 13 we came and we said, hey, we need to fix the mold issue. And at the time it was a million dollars. Then we got more mold… So I find myself now cringing at what the costs have increased, and we’re really good at increasing our cost by not getting it done… I’m going to hold my nose and say, Damn, I don’t want to spend this much money, but I’m also going to say it needs to get done because we can’t kick this can down any farther.”
But not all supervisors agreed on the path forward. Supervisor Natalie Arroyo voiced concern about “the dynamic costs of construction,” and Supervisor Mike Wilson noted the county’s “multi-million dollar budget deficit” and “limited financing capacity.” While he said he was “completely supportive of rebuilding the hall,” Wilson also suggested repurposing one of Garberville’s many vacant buildings instead.
Public commenters, including veterans and local residents, urged the board not to delay further.
A Vietnam veteran told the board, “Please don’t wait to do something else that’s gone by. We need this now.”
Louis Lester, a licensed clinical social worker, described the hall’s deterioration as a mental health trigger for the veterans he counseled:
“This was one of the biggest triggers for veterans. A trigger is a reminder of the trauma which results in re-experiencing the trauma… It brought up issues of neglect and betrayal, bringing up emotions that triggered many of their traumatic memories… This brought up strong feelings of betrayal again. Let’s not repeat this trauma. Please don’t betray these veterans again. They experience enough trauma and betrayal.”
As the board prepared to vote, Wilson reiterated his concerns about the process, and Arroyo warned of possible cost overruns.
Tom Mattson, the county’s Public Works Director, stated:
“The cost will be controlled by holding the contractor to the contract and not giving him any wiggle room.”
That comment was met with applause from the room.
In the final vote, all supervisors approved the bid award except Wilson, who dissented. Mattson said construction is expected to begin within 90 days.
For Southern Humboldt veterans and their supporters, the vote marks a long-awaited and hard-won step toward rebuilding not just a hall, but a cornerstone of community support.
