The Yolo County Historic Courthouse will return to the County upon the departure of the court functions. Court staff anticipate the move to their new facility will occur in late summer/early fall. In order to be prepared for the reuse of the building as well as minimize the time the building remains vacant, staff is working to determine the future use of the building.
The Courthouse was built in 1917 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It is approximately 50,000 square feet, includes four floors and sits on roughly 2.75 acres. The building is considered to be well maintained, requiring only minor repairs to doors, walls and ceilings in order to remain functional. However, there are a number of constraints that may limit its future use. In Spring 2013, a due diligence report (Attachment A) was issued that outlines the following constraints to future use:
Historical and Architectural: Primary and secondary character-defining features must be kept in place and restored. This is primarily the exterior of the building (i.e. location, height, plan design) and some interior characteristics (i.e. marble walls and floors, rotundas, fixtures).
Compliance: Accessibility will need to be improved and the restrooms brought up to existing code. For life safety, the addition of stairs at the east and/or west ends of the building must be added to conform to codes for exiting separation. The fire sprinkler and fire alarm system will need to be upgraded; the sprinkler system currently services only one floor.
Plumbing/Electrical: The plumbing system is in average condition but showing signs of aging. The existing electrical system should be adequate to meet the needs of future use.
During February 2013, ideas for the future Courthouse use were solicited from the community (Attachment B). The ideas can be grouped into six thematic areas:
Museum/Archives: Yolo County history/archives, Art, Military, Agriculture, Architectural history
Education: Technical schools (art, ag), UC Davis extension, after school programs
Meeting/Event Space: Public meeting venue, event center, mock trials
Non-profit/New Business Center: Low cost space for non-profit organizations or startup businesses, church, chamber of commerce
Retail: Made in Yolo products, cafe, restaurant, ice cream parlor
Government Offices: County departments, shared services, law library
There were additional ideas for the grounds such as community garden, demonstration garden, farmer's market, and rose garden.
The recently completed County space plan and needs assessment determined that the Courthouse is needed for growth of county programs over the next 15 years. Should an alternate use be approved, additional space for county operations will need to be included in an alternate location and most likely at additional expense beyond what was contemplated in the space plan.
Staff recommends a two-phased approach to reuse. First, the building will need to be remodeled/upgraded for any of the potential uses. There is a current need to relocate the Yolo County Archives. From the viewpoint of the role of Archives and the historic nature of the Courthouse, this central location for Archives is ideal. Planning for its relocation to the first floor of the Courthouse will allow the County to avoid leaving the Courthouse vacant while options for the second and third floors are explored. For these reasons, staff recommends moving forward to develop a plan for Archives permanent relocation to the Courthouse. The Jacobs report estimates the cost of remodeling the Courthouse for alternate use could cost as much as $12.4 million. Assuming a floor-by-floor remodel with some entire facility upgrades (i.e. plumbing) required in the initial remodel, a very rough estimate of moving archives would be in the $5 million range. This estimate would be included in the three-year capital improvement program financing scheduled to be brought to the Board in September.
The second phase would include engaging the City of Woodland to determine if there are partnership opportunities among the reuse options that would be of benefit to the area. Once the options have been vetted to those most likely to be feasible, a cost analysis will be conducted and a final recommendation brought to the Board. Staff will work with the Board Facility Subcommittee throughout this phase.
This agenda item is the Board's opportunity to provide feedback to staff on the options presented. Specifically, is the two-phased approach reasonable and whether there are considerations that should be removed or additional options added. |