Thyen-Clark Cultural Center groundbreaking - Dubois County Free Press, Inc.

Mia Peak, 1, of Jasper, dug into the ceremonial pile of sand after the groundbreaking of the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center. *Photos by Matthew Crane.*

The Thyen-Clark Cultural Center construction site should see activity ramping up over the next few days.

Tuesday afternoon, members of the Jasper Public Library staff and board officers were joined by members of the City of Jasper’s Art Department and Jasper Community Arts Commission as well as volunteers and community members that worked to make the cultural center a reality to ceremoniously break ground on the project.

Jim and Pat Thyen (center) were joined by Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide, Library Director Christine Golden and Arts Director Kyle Rupert in turning the ceremonial shovels of dirt at the site of the new cultural center.

The cultural center will unite the Jasper Community Arts Commission and Jasper Public Library in one building at the corner of Third and Mill streets in downtown Jasper.

About 200 people gathered to see the ceremony and take part in activities involving popular story characters like Gumby, Peppa Pig and Harry Potter.

Peppa Pig played by Nancy Sims of 4Cs, greeted sisters Peyton and Tessa Ginder during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Jasper Library Director Christine Golden told the crowd that the support from volunteers and organizations has been tremendous. She pointed out how the group formed to bring the cultural center to fruition through the process of the 2016 referendum.

“I knew we had people we could count on 100 percent because they believed so much in this project,” she said. “For that, I am eternally grateful. We aren’t done yet by any means, but what a story we will be able to tell when it is.”

Jasper Library Director Christine Golden and Jasper Arts Director Kyle Rupert opened the ceremony thanking the many people who got them to this point.

Mayor Dean Vonderheide, who served on the library board through the process of creating the center, outlined the process that it took to partner with the city to get to this point. It was a five-year process to get to the point of breaking ground on the project.

The two groups — Library Board and City representatives — met about four years ago to tour the former Hoosier Desk factory to talk about the potential for the site.

“The Thyen-Clark Cultural Center has been a catalyst for development in Jasper due to the vision and strength of this community,” he said. “I can only imagine the possibilities that will exist upon its completion.”

Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide during opening remarks of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center.

Mayor Vonderheide explained that he is blessed to be part of the story of the City of Jasper at this time. “I love this city. I’ve got my family here and that is what this is all about. It’s for them and the future generations,” he said. “We aren’t afraid to tackle the hard things if it’s the right thing to do and this is the right thing to do.”

Several local children were given the opportunity to reveal a rendition of the building and facade during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Krempp Lumber will be the main construction contractor on the project. The Jasper Library/City LLC., created to manage the partnership for the cultural center, approved the Jasper company’s bid of $13,761,00 in January.

The LLC signed the contract with Krempp Monday.