Columbus Consolidated Government

Council Memorandum


TO: Mayor and Councilors
Date: 5/27/2014 12:00:00 AM
TO: Mayor and Councilors
Date: 5/27/2014 12:00:00 AM
Created:
5/20/2014 2:26:00 PM
THRU: Isaiah Hugley, City Manager
FROM: David Arrington, Deputy City Manager
Subject: Claflin School


No attachments for this document.

On April 8, 2014 a presentation was made to Council on the status of the

Claflin School property. The City took possession of the property from the

Muscogee County School District in-lieu of the property reverting back to the

Federal Government. The City?s intended use was for the proposed Opportunity

Center, a resource center to address homelessness in our community. The cost

to rehabilitate the building was a key factor in the site not being selected

for this purpose. The proposed use of the building also met with some

resistance from some members of the public. The City conducted a nine (9)

month Request for Proposal process to find a suitable developer to develop the

property in accordance with the restrictions on the deed requiring the property

to be used for educational purposes. The RFP process resulted in no viable

proposals being submitted. Based on the lack of these efforts to result in a

viable use for the property, staff recommended to Council the building be

deeded to the Federal Government consistent with the deed restrictions.

Council directed staff to conduct one more public meeting to see if there was

any public interest in developing the property.



On April 21, 2014 City staff held a public meeting at the City Services Center

on the Claflin School property. The meeting was advertised in the newspaper,

on City website, CCGTV, and through the Planning Department email notification

system. A total of 40 citizens attending the meeting. A brief presentation

was made on the City?s efforts to find an appropriate use for the building and

the current condition of the building. At the conclusion of the meeting a

group of citizens requested the City retain ownership of the property for an

additional six months to allow them time to identify an appropriate use for the

building and identify funding for the rehabilitation and on-going operation of

the facility. The group was advised their request would be forwarded to

Council for consideration. Assuming the request is approved by Council at the

May 27th Council meeting. The deadline for submission of a proposal would be

November 27, 2014. Any proposal submitted would need to address all of the

elements previously required in the RFP process for development of the property

(see Attachment). During the six (6) month extension period it will be

necessary for the City to maintain the property by keeping the grass cut in

compliance with City Code and keep the building secured. No other

maintenance or stabilization efforts will be performed on the building during

this period.

If you need additional information concerning the Claflin School property

please let me know.







Attachment

Request for Proposal Requirements

Projected Use

1. Describe your projected use(s) for the building

2. Describe your projected use(s) for the land surrounding the building,

including site plan.



Service Plan

Provide an estimated timeline for completion of the redevelopment project. Do

not

include actual dates in the timeline, rather days, weeks and months.



Deed Restrictions

Describe how the project will adhere to the deed restrictions.



Architectural Preservation

Describe how you will preserver the architectural features of the building.



Financial Strategy

Provide realistic, verifiable financial projections and sources of revenue for

the

initial rehabilitation of the building.



Financial Feasibility Plan

Provide a financial feasibility plan for the ongoing operation of the site when

fully

operations.



Proposed Team

Provide resumes of the development team members, which demonstrate relevant

experience.



Experience with Similar Projects

1. Describe your experience with historic rehabilitation and/or adaptive reuse

projects.

2. For the five (5) most recently completed historic rehabilitation and/or

adaptive

use projects, provide the client name, contact name, telephone & fax numbers,

email address, project cost and date of completion.

3. Indicate whether the respondent has been involved in any litigation/claims

regarding historic rehabilitation and/or adaptive use projects.
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