Work converting former Zamora Temple into new Irondale Civic Center begins Spring 2025
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The former Zamora Shrine Temple will undergo an $18 million renovation to become the new Irondale Civic Center.
The project, which will go through the bidding process for contractors in the first quarter of 2025, is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to be completed and will give the City of Irondale a facility capable of hosting a wide variety of events and also provide several community facilities available for everyday use. Bonds have already been issued through the City’s Public Building Authority to cover the costs of the project.
“The Irondale Civic Center renovation project will be the 4th project to move forward in our series of 8 generational capital projects. We completed the Dog Park in October 2024, and we’ll be opening our new Ruffner Sports Complex on March 1 and our new Irondale Public Library later this summer. Our tagline for the City is “Build Community, Build the Future,” and we believe that having a facility like the Irondale Civic Center will help us to do just that. There will be spaces for groups of all sizes and people of all ages to come together and enjoy programming and fellowship.”
Irondale Mayor James D. Stewart, Jr.
The City’s final event before the renovation begins will be a free community game night on Friday, February 7, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The event will feature free pizza, Family Feud, bingo, and more.
Irondale Civic Center features
The plans for the new Irondale Civic Center include:
- An auditorium capable of accommodating up to 1,500 people
- A variety of meeting and conference rooms for groups of various sizes
- Splash pad
- Large playground designed to be inclusive to children of all abilities
- Outdoor plaza area
- Outdoor amphitheater
- Fitness center
- Picnic pavilion
History of Zamora Temple Shrine
Built in 1985 for the Zamora Shriners Masonic organization, the Zamora Shrine Center has long captured the attention of drivers along the intersection of I-459 and I-20 with its iconic golden dome.
Over the years, the building has hosted numerous events from cat shows to roller derby competitions. While several different entities entered discussions to buy the building over the past two decades, the property finally sold for $3.5 million to First Carolina Holdings in 2020 before being bought by the City of Irondale for $5 million two years later.
The City of Irondale purchased the facility in 2022 and completed some temporary updates which have allowed the city to host a number of events there over the past few years. They have used it for community events such as an Arts & Crafts Bazaar and game nights, as well as for training events such as a CDL course and a number of first responder training opportunities. The city has also rented it for private events including Kids Market, Car Club events, and even weddings.
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