Agenda - 03-20-2001-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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6 • Direct the Manager to negotiate necessary arrangements with the Gourt, the Postal Service, and the Downtown Commission to allow installation of a Welcome Center in an azea now used by the Postal Service, with final design details and other terms subject to approval by the Council; and, direct the Manager to negotiate a lease of such space with the Downtown Commission for consideration by the Council. BACKGROUND The Committee on the Old Post Office was appointed by the Town Council to develop proposals for. the preservation, enhancement and future use of the building. In conducting its work, the Committee has reviewed the site, met with representatives of the District Court of the State of North Cazolina, the ~C.1. S. Postal Service, and the Franklin Street Teen Center, and reviewed relevant records and reports. The. Old Post Office building at the corner of East Franklin and Henderson Streets was constructed in 1937. It is a 17,700 gross squaze foot, two-story structure with brick and limestone walls set on a concrete foundation. The building served as the main Chapel Hill Post Office until 1979, when it was acquired by the Town for a payment of $250,000 and a 25-year no-cost lease to the Postal Service of about 3,000 squaze feet of space and a limited azea for vehicle access and parking. The main-floor azea leased to the Fostal Service has been in continuous use for retail customer service since 1979. The District Court of the State. of North Cazolina has made continuous use of the main-floor courtroom and related office and work facilities since 1979. The District Attorney occupied offices on the lower floor until this past yeaz when he relinquished the area, because it no longer was needed. The Franklin Street Teen Center first obtained permission to use an area on the lower floor in 19$4 and has operated programs in the space continuously since that date. The.Town uses areas on the lower floor for storage of records. The small plaza in front of the Old Post Office is a traditional gathering place for citizens, a site used for peaceful assembly in support of or in opposition to a multitude of causes and issues. The reax of the building now is utilized for vehicle access, parking, and, refuse collection equipment; there also is a small lawn with a magnolia tree. Sketches aze attached that show the layout of the building space, the plaza and the-rear of the building. As a part of the 2000-2005 Capital Improvement Program adopted last spring, the Council authorized ten-year installment financing for several renovation projects, including limited repairs of the Old Past Office. A total of $240,000 (engineering, construction, construction management, and interest costs) is allocated for repairs to the exterior of the building, including roof replacement and repair of windows and masonry. The Manager expects that this work will be undertaken this fiscal yeaz.