Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.a. St. Joseph's Complex 4 ROSEMOUNT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CITY COUNCIL City Council Work Session Meeting Date: July 15, 2008 r- AGENDA ITEM: Discussion on St. Joseph's Complex AGENDA SECTION: Discussion PREPARED BY: Kim Lindquist, Acting City Administrator, Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation AGENDA NO. Director ATTACHMENTS: Recommendations from St. Joseph's APPROVED BY: Facility Task Force RECOMMENDED ACTION: Discussion only BACKGROUND At the budget meeting on July 9, 2008 it was apparent that there are a variety of budget and programmatic issues associated with the St. Joseph's complex. While staff has not had adequate time to prepare a lot of background information, this meeting would provide an opportunity for Council and staff to discuss various options and determine what information should be gathered to assist in decision making. DISCUSSION Earlier this year a referendum was held which included funds for upgrading the St. Joe's church to allow public use of the facility. The funds were earmarked for making the building handicapped accessible, including accessible bathrooms, indoor and outdoor ramps, etc. The other expenditure was for duct work, installation of air conditioning, installation of clean air return, upgrading the boiler system, and some other cosmetic repairs. These improvements would have allowed the City to have private and public use of the facility while complying with building code requirements and requirements of the Human Right Act. The decision to go forward with the referendum was made prior to knowing the congregation's plans for construction of the new school in 2008 -09. This timeline means the school is available earlier than expected, which provides some benefits from a handicapped accessibility standpoint. The bathroom in the Gathering Space is considered accessible and would negate the need for construction of additional accessible stalls. (In the long -term staff would recommend construction of additional bathrooms given the difficult access to the church basement.) Should the Council choose to forego improvements to HVAC, the cost of bringing the site into compliance with accessibility requirements would be significantly less than the $1.2 million proposed under the referendum. There are a number of options available to the Council regarding the disposition of the St. Joe's complex in the short, medium and long -range time periods. We would like to begin exploring these options and layout a strategy to assist in future decision making. Potential Courses of Action Make improvements to be compliant with handicapped accessibility requirements and use the church. Make improvements to be compliant with handicapped accessibility requirements and use the church and portions of school. Hold referendum in the fall of 2008 and make all improvements to upgrade church as proposed in spring 2008 referendum. Hold referendum in 2010 or later; make all improvements to upgrade church as proposed in spring 2008 referendum. Hold referendum in 2010 or later, make all improvements to upgrade church and increase referendum request to include improvements to school or demolition of school. Work with private developer for development on portion of the site while maintaining church for public purpose. CONCLUSION The Council needs to decide what course of action should be taken for the St. Joe's complex to assist in 2009 budgeting. There is a limited time left to decide whether there should be a referendum regarding St. Joe's for the upcoming General Election. Staff would like to assist the Council in their decision regarding St. Joe's and recognizes additional information is needed. Staff would like to briefly discuss potential options with the Council on Tuesday and put together a strategy for decision making which will highlight what additional information is needed and what options the Council would like to explore. 2 TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS The Task Force agreed on a series of recommendations for future decision making regarding the St. Joseph's complex. Members recognize that portions of the buildings may have a private use until 2011, hampering full development of the site in the short term. The scarcity of resources coupled with the need to generate community demand may elongate the time period in which the complex will be transformed to its permanent use. In the short- and mid -term, the Task Force wants to lay the foundation for the future long -term use while allowing each building to be used and useful for the community. 1. The church structure will remain and will be used for a public purpose that allows the community to 1 benefit from the public ownership. 2. The Task Force recommends that the school building remain. The Task Force feels the decision of 1 whether to keep or remove the school facility should be based upon the ultimate use of the entire site and the economics and suitability of keeping the building, replacing it, or other alternatives. 3. The Task Force supports the long term use of the property as an arts and cultural facility. The Task Force believes there is currently a need for arts and cultural related activities which will continue to grow as Rosemount grows. The Task Force supports an Arts and Cultural Center as the long -term use of the church and the school. 0 4. Private users may rent or lease the church for an interim period but in the long term the City should 1 look toward uses that provide public access and serve a community need. 5. Programming for the property should include the community as a whole; targeting all age groups and diverse interests to ensure that it truly is a public asset. 6. Current opportunities for using the church building should be reviewed and implemented to make use of the space while the private school leases the site. By changing the use of the church, funding should be allocated to provide short term facility improvements such as adding public restrooms and ADA required access routes to and inside the building. These improvements would allow for multi 1 purpose or flex space use of the building in the short term. 7. The Task Force supports the short term use of the property as a multi use space. As arts programming and demand increase, the use of the facility will be more focused toward artistic pursuits. 8. Exterior modifications to the school building should be considered so that it is aesthetically pleasing. 9. The Task Force recommends that the surrounding residential properties owned by the City be used in a manner that complements the St. Joseph's campus and provides for the best transition for the homes adjacent to the campus. 1 1 10. To ensure success of the property, collaboration with private businesses, other agencies and 1 governmental entities is encouraged. Joint programs with the new Dakota County Library, Dakota County Technical College, the Rosemount Area Arts Council, Independent School District 196, other public agencies, quasi -public agencies and the private sector are strongly encouraged. 1 1 9