PORT TOWNSEND — The renovation of a Fort Worden State Park campus building into a higher education center is taking another step forward with a funding agreement among Peninsula College, a public development authority and the city of Port Townsend.
City and PDA officials signed the agreement this week, said Dave Robison, executive director of the Fort Worden Lifelong Learning Center Public Development Authority.
He expects Peninsula College officials to sign it soon.
“This is a cornerstone project for Fort Worden, the city and the PDA,” Robison said.
“We are pleased to again be moving forward with Peninsula College on this project.”
Turning 14,000 square feet of space in Building 202 into a home for Peninsula College has been planned since 2011, but action has been postponed because of funding availability and change in the management of part of Fort Worden.
The PDA in May took over management of the campus portions of the 434-acre park for educational purposes while State Parks continues to manage the camping, beach and recreation areas.
The agreement also says the PDA would lease the building for 50 years to the college for $1 a year.
The agreement outlines city and PDA commitments for a combined $500,000 toward the renovation, which would allow the college to put the project out to bid, Robison said.
The project’s total cost is $6.7 million, with $6.2 million already raised.
In addition to the city and PDA commitments, this includes $4.4 million in state capital appropriations, $700,000 from a state Department of Commerce energy grant and $600,000 from Peninsula College.
The funding gap is $500,000. Robison is hoping to use up to $900,000 in historical tax credits to finance the project.
Once a contract is awarded, the exact amount in tax credits would be identified, he said.
Nona Snell, senior budget assistant at the state Office of Financial Management, said she did not know whether the tax credits would be approved and was “waiting for information as to whether using tax-exempt bonds for the transaction is appropriate and what the state’s obligations are with regard to the awarding of these tax credits.”
Snell expects the decision will be made when the requested information is provided.
Under the agreement, Peninsula College would place the project out to bid, award the bid and manage the construction.
The prime obligation of the PDA and the city would be financial.
The PDA would be granted rent-free access to any portion of the building not used by Peninsula College.
The PDA and the city also would provide support to the college when needed, according to the agreement.
After funding is secured, permitting and construction could begin.
Construction is estimated to take about 13 months. Under that schedule, the building could be open for classes sometime in late 2016.
The renovation would be of only part of Building 202, which is 20,000 square feet. Some 6,000 square feet have not been earmarked for any purpose.
According to a Peninsula College document, the proposed renovation would result in four general classrooms, a science classroom, a studio-art room, a learning lab, a workforce training room, student study space, faculty offices and a reception space.
It would replace Peninsula College’s current quarters in an old schoolhouse, which has long been inadequate for the college’s Port Townsend needs, according to Luke Robins, the college’s president.
The new building would feature video-equipped classrooms where classes can be conducted in one location and viewed in another.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
