PORT TOWNSEND — The goal is for Peninsula College to begin the bid process for the renovation of Fort Worden State Park’s Building 202 in July, and an additional $500,000 must be raised by that date.
“I’m confident we can raise this,” said Peninsula College President Tom Keegan after meeting with the Fort Worden Public Development Authority on Monday morning.
“Most of the challenges we’ve faced have been greater than this, like navigating all the necessary rules and regulations and raising the $4.5 million we already have allocated.”
Keegan, who has accepted the presidency of Skagit Valley College and whose last day as college president is Feb. 3, will work energetically toward those goals until then, he said.
“One of my top priorities is to get all this done before I leave,” he said.
The renovation of the building from its dilapidated state into a state-of-the-art education center will cost nearly $5 million.
The funds raised include $2 million each from Peninsula College and the state Legislature and $500,000 from the city of Port Townsend.
While the college has until July to acquire the funds, a fundraising plan will need to be in place by the end of January, said Keegan.
Raising the money is only one of five necessary agreements that need to be completed by that deadline, Keegan said.
The others are to develop a lease agreement with the Washington State Parks system, ratify a project management agreement and develop a plan for the college and the public development authority — or PDA — to work together and finalize the transfer of the allocated $500,000 from the city to the college.
Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval suggested the best fundraising strategy was to get a loan for the amount secured in January and then raise the funds to pay back the loan before July.
Sandoval is optimistic that the money can be raised.
“When we went after the money from the Legislature last year, we were told we were crazy,” she said.
“We thought we would never get it, but we kept at it and it came through for us.”
Keegan said the new building needs to be gutted and renovated in order to accommodate the college’s growing needs.
“We are limited here because the size of the classrooms can’t accommodate the needs of the classes,” he said.
“I’d like to see the new building booked every minute of every day, and be devoted to education rather than administrative purposes.”
Keegan said that other buildings throughout the park could be used for admission and administration, and that “the school is more than Building 202, and Building 202 isn’t just for the school.”
The PDA began crafting legislation to be introduced next year that would grant an extended lease to the PDA allowing it to sublet buildings to businesses that fit the Lifelong Learning Center concept.
The proposed lease would be for 50 or 60 years since reopening the lease process every five years, as it is done today, could discourage private investment in the park, according to a draft memorandum circulated Monday.
According to Dave Robison, the interim director of the public development authority, the legislation will be crafted by the PDA and the state parks department, and then sponsors for the bill will be solicited.
The PDA is next scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, at Fort Worden and will meet at least twice more in January to complete the agreements.
The legislative memo states that in light of Keegan’s departure, “it is in the best interest of all parties to agree to fundamental concepts on how building 202 will be funded, completed, leased and managed in the future.”
Brinton Sprague, who will take over as interim college president in February, said he has not gotten up to speed about the Fort Worden project but expects to do so after meetings with Keegan and the board of trustees.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
