CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The effort to bring a new visitor center to the city of Clearlake is in the home stretch.

The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce is preparing to move into the renovated 1940s residence, located at 14295 Lakeshore Drive.

The project is one that has taken several years and involved both volunteers and local governments and agencies.

“The Clear Lake Chamber/Visitor Center project is an immensely important project to the city and the City Council,” said City Manager Greg Folsom. “It is one of the revitalization projects that we have undertaken to improve the Lakeshore Drive corridor and to help stimulate and support businesses within the city of Clearlake. This project would not have been possible without the support of the community, most especially the county of Lake and Mike Vandiver.”

The city purchased the 1.5-acre lakeside property for $207,500 in 2011, Folsom said.

The work of renovating the property in preparation for it becoming a new visitor center has been under way in earnest since the spring of 2015, funded in part by an agreement between the county of Lake and the city of Clearlake to operate the visitor center.

The county committed $100,000 to the project, as Lake County News has reported. An initial payment of $50,000 was made in 2013 and the remaining funds have been disbursed as the work has continued. Folsom said the city has just invoiced the county for the final $25,000.

Since the work got started, an old garage has been demolished and the house on the land has gotten a ground-up restoration.

To keep costs down, Public Works Director Herren and city staffer Lee Lambert acted as property managers, and local contractors and volunteers were involved.

Other improvements planned for the site are public restrooms, horseshoe pits and bocce ball, which Clear Lake Chamber President Denise Loustalot said well help tie the chamber, visitor center and park together.

Folsom said the property’s rehabilitation costs total $120,035.94. That includes funds from the county and $37,000 out of bond funds that the Clearlake City Council authorized Folsom to spend on the project.

Based on a meeting last Monday with individuals involved in the project, Folsom said final touches are expected to total less than $1,000. That doesn’t count the security camera system, which he estimated will cost between $2,000 and $3,000 based on the various options the city is considering and some initial quotes.

In recent weeks, the property has been the site of last-minute finishing touches in preparation for moving in, which Chamber President Denise Loustalot said will take place once the installation of phone and Internet service is complete.

On one recent sunny day, Loustalot’s husband, Pete, along with Mayor Russ Perdock and Vandiver, a retired contractor and former city planning commissioner, were busy at work in the renovated house. Perdock painted cabinets, Pete Loustalot did touch up painting around the building and Vandiver was busy cutting tile.

The building has been completely renovated, from a new roof to flooring, new windows, paint and interior fixtures. There also are new sidewalks and entry ramps.

Perdock called it the “cornerstone of Highlands Park.” He hopes work will start this spring or summer on plans for the nearby park itself.

“What is your favorite part of this project?” Denise Loustalot asked Vandiver.

“Getting it done,” he quickly responded with a smile.

He said the house was built to last. When they pulled off the old asbestos roofing, they found underneath it redwood that looked like new and was able to be retained.

Robert Boccabella, the chamber’s vice president and owner of Business Design Services in Lakeport, stepped forward in 2015 and volunteered to help coordinate the building’s interior design.

Boccabella is a certified interior designer with more than 40 years’ experience. “I love what I do. Interior design is incredibly personal.”

The house was built in the early 1940s, and the goal was to reflect that history in the completed project, he said.

Boccabella has worked to respect that history and marry the classic aspects of the home – like its original flooring and a round window in one part of the building – to the more modern and functional improvements.

Updates include an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathroom that has vintage-type tiles. He’s also used classic colors from the 1940s and 1950s, such as a shade of pink that is reminiscent of a color used at the time.

There also is a new heating and cooling system installed by Performance Mechanical, owned by Phil Harris, who joined the council in December, Loustalot said.

Boccabella said he’s now working on getting furniture for the building.

The building will house the chamber offices and the visitor center serving both the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake. As such, it also will host chamber events, including the popular summer luau, Boccabella said.

It also will be available to community groups and organizations who want to rent the facility, Loustalot said.

Standing in one corner room with an expansive view of the lake that he said will be a “casual conference area,” Boccabella said, “It’s, to me, my favorite room in the entire building because of the absolutely extraordinary view that we have from this spot. It’s really great.”

Loustalot said the Clear Lake Chamber has made its home in another location – in the city’s senior center – and is looking forward to moving in. For some longtime chamber board members, it will be better than a birthday.

Although his business is based in Lakeport, Boccabella has become increasingly involved with the work in Clearlake.

“We cannot grow and prosper in isolation in this county. We have to do it all together,” he said.

He said he and Loustalot are the “PIPS” – the “partners in progress.”

“We are a very progressive community that wants to see better things for each other,” Loustalot added.

They’re now looking for new members who want to come and be involved, volunteer time and help grow the chamber, she said. The chamber also is seeking a new executive director.

“Clearlake is definitely on the move,” said Boccabella. “This is just a really exciting time for Lake County.

Both Loustalot and Perdock agreed.

“Things are happening in Clearlake and I’m hopeful people are watching and taking note, and want to get in on the wave,” Perdock said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.