June 11: Community Workshop
This event was hosted by the SChool Reuse Action Committee & the Reuse Team. Community members interested in the future of the school and the school site were encouraged to participate through publicity conducted by SCHRAC. The event was held in the north gym of Kasson Mantorville High School, 101 16th St. N.E., Kasson MN on Thursday June 11 7-9 pm.
Welcome
School Reuse Action Committee (SCHRAC) leader(s) John Buckingham.
Kasson Elementary School Reuse Study
John Lauber, Reuse Team.
The Technical Realities: Identifying Parameters for Reuse
Steve Wilmot & Steve Edwins, Reuse Team.
Community Exchange
Peter Musty, Reuse Team. Guests were divided into six person tables, with two SCHRAC members facilitating tables of four other community members. All individuals were given five notecards and were asked to write down their answers to several questions. After finishing all questions, the notecards were collected from each table and passed anonymously to another table, where they were passed back out. Answers were then read back, one by one to each question, and SCHRAC facilitators paraphrased the answers in lists on large format sheets of paper. Those summary sheets were then posted on the wall next to the sheets from other tables. In the end there were six sheets of answers (listed below). Participants were then asked to place stickers on their favorite answers, to help the reuse team get a sense of general patterns. Answers will be used by the Reuse Team together with the notes from the dozens of individual interviews June 10-12 to help inform their final report.
Question 5 Technical Q&A for the Reuse Team
Participants were asked to generate their own questions for the Reuse Team and/or SCHRAC. John Lauber, Tom Nordyke and Steve Edwins answered several of the questions, the rest will be addressed within the report.
Adjourn
- summary posted by P Musty 6/16/2009
Question 4:
If the building
is demolished,
then what?
Question 5:
Questions for Reuse Team & SCHRAC:
a. 'What are the real costs to reuse this building and is the largest cost asbestos?'
b. 'Asbestos abatement removal? Mold? ADA compliance? What are the sustainability, maintenance and operating costs over the expected life of use?'
c. 'Plumbing condition? Bearing walls: how would they affect reuse for the areas? Skylight: need to be kept, Stage area enhancements'
d. 'Is the structure sound? Has the water problem ruined the building?'
e. 'What would it cost to bring it up to code and make it more energy efficient without remodeling?'
f. 'What would it cost to rebuild a structure such as this?'
g. 'You have already answered my questions.'
h. 'What funding is available within the community? For example: Private/community foundations, economic development funding/grants, what is the history of Kasson receiving community development grants or funding?'
i. 'When will this process be over?'
j. 'Do you have interested private investors if the city of Kasson is not interested?'
k. 'Can a referendum be voted on again?'
l. 'Does the city have veto power over final decisions of public process?'
m. 'SCHRAC: how do you NOT DELAY and get support with grants, funds and support for the money?'
n. 'What is the possibility of this building being reused?'
Question 1:
What memories can you share about the school/site or Kasson that would be interesting or relevant to the reuse study?
Question 2a:
If it were up to you, what is your best idea for what should happen to the old school building and site?
Upper End Condos, City Library, Mayo medical labs/offices, Community Center, multifunctional
Mixed Use Public, Combination library, meeting rooms, rec center (gym), City offices, Have city lease it from a private developer, Apartments, Senior Center, Vertical Office Space, Education Center, Daycare, Market Square, Assisted Living/Housing, Pre-School, Combine pre-school and elderly for intergenerational learning, Artist space/Live in studio, New library on cleared site, Children Center, Auditorium/stage/movie theater, Knock it down, put efforts toward other schools for greater benefit, Convention Hall, Adult Education, Casino/Bingo, Children’s theater, Dinner theater, Kasson Town Museum or expansion of Dodge County Historical Society, Communications Center, VA Center (therapeutic), Community theater, Art Center
Question 2b:
If your idea was selected, when and how do you think it could be implemented? How should your idea be paid for?
Creative financing, mix of public and private, Rent from owners, Start right away with city money set aside, Stabilize it the phased fix-up, pay as you go, State economic development funds, Housing bonds, Should be paid for by City, they bought it, Grants, public funding, city/utility revenue, Library (same as currently funded with taxes), user fees, Investors, housing with some city funding, Public funding, Library funds/grants, Apartment rents, Historical society grants, Theater grants, Private fundraisers, Bonds, Multiple funding sources, 3 to 5 years, Private/Public Partnership, 5 to 10 years, User fees/Membership dues, Parking meters on Main Street., Sell bonds, Public money, County Funds, Sell stuff, City grants, Independent investors, Rent, Charter school tuition (probably meant private school?), Private donations, grants, loans, mulit-year funding, Local sales tax increase, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Theater grants
Question 3:
If your preferred idea couldn’t work, what other uses do you think would succeed?
Senior Center, Condo/Senior Apartments, Privately Owned, City Library, Mayo Clinic could use space, save driving to Rochester, Auditorium, Community Meeting Center, Art Space for Artists, Sell it, build a roller rink and/or bowling alley, City Hall, Market Rate Town homes, Dental/Medical Professional Office Space, Theater, Office Condos, Demolish and build a new library, Shared Space with the School District, Meeting Space, Condos, Up-Scale Restaurant, Assisted Living, Group Housing, Business Offices, Retail Space, Private apartments/Offices/Combo, Music/Dance, Lessons/Practice, Kasson Museum (like in the West Concord School), Charter School, Daycare, School/College, Civic/Municipal Offices, Adult Education, Public/Private rented space (public owned), Private Owned/Leased Back, City should pay for it to sit there like it is, Not Apartments
