2016 brought us many things: The 2016 election…Brexit…the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series…and the debut of KVPR’s 10,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art broadcast center in Clovis.
The approximately $4 million project was the result of around 15 years of planning and fundraising, beginning in the early 2000s, all with a vision to build KVPR’s first permanent facility. From its earliest days, KVPR dreamed of “owning its own home” in a building built from the ground-up for the unique needs of a radio station. Despite many ups and downs, a global recession in 2008 and plans that stalled and then resumed, that dream finally became a reality in May 2016.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Zumwalt Construction, RDT Architects, acoustic engineering by Russ Berger Designs, and interiors by Facility Designs, financing by United Security Bank and donations from hundreds of individuals, the project finally became a reality. The Clovis tech park building is a showpiece and a statement about the enduring power of public radio as a vital part of the Central Valley’s civic infrastructure.
Since the broadcast center opened in May 2016, it has seen the station’s operations grow and evolve. Likewise the building has changed as well, with major upgrades over the last decade ranging from the installation of solar power, a backup generator and the outfitting of new studio spaces.
“When we opened the building, it was very nicely furnished, but many big-ticket items were cut out of the budget for purposes of cost savings,” said KVPR General Manager Joe Moore. “Over the years we’ve completed all of the elements that weren’t possible in 2016. We outfitted an additional audio editing/recording studio, new videoconferencing equipment and digital distribution technology. We added a massive natural gas-powered backup generator to keep the station online in the event of power outages. We even added a 75kW solar power system to our roof to keep our energy bills under control and to improve our environmental sustainability,” said Moore.
The station made two other important additions: memorials to the two station leaders who made the broadcast center dream a reality, longtime KVPR General Manager Mariam Stepanian and former station board chairman Edward Palacios.
“Ed passed away unexpectedly shortly before we broke ground on the new facility,” said current KVPR President and General Manager Joe Moore. Palacios is honored with an original bronze sculpture titled The Listener, which sits outside the broadcast center. Stepanian passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2018, and she is honored with a monument sign dedicated the “Mariam Stepanian Studios” in her honor. Both memorial projects were funded with the donations of friends and family of the later station leaders.
“We also grew into the new facility. We knew this building would need to not just meet the needs of KVPR in 2016 but also 2026 and 2036. In the last 10 years, we added a whole new radio station to our operation – KVPR Classical. We’ve also added new staff, interns and technologies that were only ideas a decade ago. And the good news is there is still room to grow.”
“Moving from a cramped and outdated facility which we rented into a state-of-the-art facility which we own changed a lot of things. It let us work more effectively and efficiently. It has offered the space to host events for the public and community meetings, even national NPR broadcasts that have originated from our studios. The new building allowed us to expand our offerings and recruit employees. But perhaps most importantly, it is served as a statement that KVPR is a vital civic institution in Central California, one that is central to the Valley, and one that is here to stay,” said Moore.