Opelika Chamber of Commerce’s four month long renovations are now complete. To celebrate the brand new look of this 114-year-old Victorian jewel, the chamber hosted an open house and building dedication for chamber members to attend.

The open house took place on Thursday, Nov. 5. It lasted from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Refreshments were available throughout the house. The food was prepared in the chamber’s remodeled kitchen.

Mayor Fuller and John Seymour, city administrator, came to the event. Several city councilmen and lots of chamber members were also present. The open house was a full house.

“About 100 people came to the open house.” Dinah Motley, business development director, said. “We were so excited to open our doors and let all of our members see the changes we have made.”

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House tours were given by Jill Robinson the membership director of the chamber.

“During open house, I had the opportunity to take people around the building and show them all of the upgrades we’ve done to the building,” Robinson said.

Chamber employees no longer have to work in crammed offices and dig through boxes to find the materials they need. Bookshelves and cabinets throughout the building offer amble space to file and store, which makes staying organized easy.

“When these buildings were first built they were not built for storage because in 1902 they were taxed on their extra closet space,” Robinson said. “Having things that are accessible is so much better.”

The Whitfield-Duke-Searcy home had not been renovated since 1988 when the City of Opelika purchased the building from First Alabama Bank to house the chamber in. Originally, the house was owned by the Whitfield family in 1895. Judge Duke bought the house in 1902, but he later sold it to First Alabama Bank in 1979.

The renovations have provided the Opelika Chamber of Commerce with the ability to not only host events, but to offer an elegant atmosphere for members and guests to enjoy. Instead of using the typical pull down projector screen, the chamber’s boardroom is equipped with a 52-inch TV mounted on the wall. The room has Internet access, and the TV can be used to display power points which are used during seminars, board meetings or educational events.

In addition to the kitchen and boardroom’s remodeling, the bathrooms were updated. Bathtubs were removed from the house, and the bathrooms are now wheelchair accessible. The plumbing and wiring was redone, and new light fixtures and closets were added.

The wooden floors in the Victorian home were refinished, and the entire home was repainted. New blinds and lighting were put in each room. The landscaping gave the outside appearance of the grounds a fresh face lift.

“We have a lot of renovations and amenities now that members can come and enjoy.” Motley said. “It’s really wonderful.”