At the dawn of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Stinson Beach Community Center received a $1 million gift—just enough to purchase a neighboring 2.5-acre property on the other side of Easkoot Creek. The pandemic interrupted the center’s plans to upgrade the site, which was covered with invasive vegetation and debris, but now the center has revived efforts to upgrade 10 Willow Avenue. A live auction and a silent auction already underway will raise funds for continuing improvements on the property, including the potential reconstruction of a historic barn and milk house and the addition of a footbridge to connect the land to the community center compound. “We’re turning it into another community asset,” said Toby Bisson, president of the center’s board. “We want to increase the flexibility of the community center and what we can do for the public. We’re planning to do more outdoor events.” An anonymous donor gave $1 million to finance the purchase of the site in 2018, and the deal was consummated the following year. A subsequent county grant helped pay for landscaping and a cleanup of the property. The center has held several community events at the site, including an Easter egg hunt and a retirement party for former fire chief Kenny Stevens. The center also plans to install a container to store the archives of the Stinson Beach Historical Society. The property was home to a historic ranch owned by Nathan Stinson in the 1800s. In the 1950s, it was a staging area for garbage collection in West Marin. Over a decade ago, a fire leveled a farmhouse on the property. The 19th-century barn and a milk house that was installed in the 1920s are still standing but in need of repair. The community center board has re-established electrical service at the site and will now commission an environmental survey to assess the potential impact of future projects. The center is hoping to raise $100,000 for planned upgrades. A silent auction is underway, and a live auction and dinner will be held on Sept. 9 from 4:30 until 10 p.m. For information, go to https://givebutter.com/c/ten_willow_auction.