A new Durango Civic Center building is still four to six years away, but the city is taking steps in that direction while awaiting the final closure of sale on the former Durango School District 9-R administration building.
Durango City Council recently approved a $1.2 million budget allocation to start renovating the former Big Picture High School building, ahead of the city’s purchase of the former Durango School District 9-R administration building at 201 E. 12th St., which is expected to be completed on or by Dec. 1. The two buildings sit side-by-side.
The funding will be provided through the 2005 debt service capital improvements quarter-cent sales tax revenues fund.
Assistant city manager Erin Hyder said starting renovations as soon as possible will allow Durango Community Engagement and engineering staff — 27 employees in total — to relocate into the Big Picture building from River City Hall quickly and make way for construction of Durango Fire Protection District’s new downtown fire station.
“Durango Fire Protection District does intend to begin their construction project as soon as possible post-closing date,” she said. “So we are focused on moving out of River City Hall as quickly as possible to accommodate their project timeline needs.”
The city explored other options for a new place for Community Development to call home, she said, including commercial leasing opportunities. But it was determined the Big Picture building is the most feasible option both financially and in terms of square feet measurements.
Hyder said the other property large enough to accommodate Community Development and engineering staff would cost the city about $171,000 a year, excluding tenant improvements the city would be responsible for.
The Big Picture building will cost the city about $200,000 annually, she said.
“The analysis clearly indicates that the renovation of the Big Picture building is the most prudent and cost effective way to relocate our River City Hall employees and meet the expectations of the public regarding provision of services,” Hyder said.
She also said the renovation approach has been “keenly focused on creating the no-frills functioning space” for the Community Development and engineering teams for the next four to six years while activating the location in preparation for the city civic center.
The renovation is planned for the first and second floors in the south half of the Big Picture building, about 12,000 square feet of working space, to accommodate the relocation of city employees. The north half of the building will be reserved as a future staging area for later construction as the civic center project ramps up in the coming years.
Classroom space will be converted into office and meeting space, with information technology and infrastructure needs making up the brunt of the work, she said. Classrooms will be flipped into partitioned office space, a customer reception area and conference room space. The building interior will receive new paint, and HVAC work will also be carried out.
The renovations are scheduled to take 60 to 120 days, and the city is working to shorten that timeline to align with a closing date between mid-November and Dec. 1, Hyder said.
Councilor Olivier Bosmans voted against the resolution. He said although the risk of starting renovations on a building before the city owns it carries low risk, it is still risky. He suggested waiting to start any renovations until the city closes on the building later this fall.
City manager José Madrigal said there is some risk, but the city attorney secured a right of entry to the former Big Picture building for the city. Additionally, DFPD requested that the city start renovating the building because relocating Community Development frees up construction on the new downtown fire station.
Hyder said the city is also currently working on a parking plan for the site. Parking will be on an onsite lot behind the historic administration building and the Big Picture building.
“We’ve identified the number of spots that we need that we can accommodate within the footprint on site, and still have space for visitor parking out on 12th Street,” she said.
cburney@durangoherald.com
