PORT TOWNSEND — The ceremonial signing of an agreement has opened the way for beginning the process of renovating Fort Worden’s Building 202 into an East Jefferson County home for Peninsula College.
The memorandum of agreement among Peninsula College, the city of Port Townsend and the Fort Worden Lifelong Learning Center Public Development Authority fills in a $500,000 shortfall in the funding of the $6.7 million project.
“The project funds already identified are approximately half a million dollars short,” said Luke Robins, Peninsula College president.
“Working with our partners at the city and the PDA, we’ve been exploring a number of options to secure the additional ‘gap funding.’”
Representatives of the three agencies — Robins, Port Townsend Mayor David King and Scott Wilson, chairman of the public development authority board and publisher of the weekly Port Townsend Leader — signed the memorandum of agreement Friday in the Fort Worden Commons.
The college now will request that the state Department of Enterprise Services place the renovation contract out to bid.
Plans are complete for the renovation, Robins said.
Construction could begin this spring. It is estimated to take about 13 months.
Under that schedule, the building could be open for classes sometime in late 2016.
The new agreement is for the city of Port Townsend and the public development authority to provide $250,000 more to the project while Peninsula College also provides $250,000.
That will augment the $6.2 million already in hand, allowing the college to request the project be put out to bid.
Identified and committed funds totalling $6.2 million are $4.4 million in state capital appropriations, $500,000 from the city of Port Townsend, $700,000 from a state Department of Energy grant awarded to Peninsula College and $600,000 from Peninsula College for furniture, fixtures and equipment.
The agreement also says that alternative methods of funding, such as historic tax credits, will be investigated.
The public development authority will lease the building for 50 years to the college for $1 a year, according to the pact.
The college and public development authority will enter into an operating agreement in which they will collaborate on programming “to advance the missions and interests of both organizations,” the agreement says.
Peninsula College programs will have first priority, but the public development authority will have the exclusive right to rent-free use of any unused capacity of the building.
The ceremony marked the finalization of an agreement that had been approved by the city of Port Townsend and the public development authority officials in December.
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, who attended the ceremony, characterized the signing as “a wonderful occasion.”
“This is an example of us all working together toward common goals,” Kilmer said. “The community has recognized what a jewel you have here.”
Robins said “Building 202 is a game-changer for us in East Jefferson County.
“Our current facility is totally inadequate, and our board of trustees has made a clear commitment to providing state-of-the-art learning spaces for our students, regardless of location.”
Once renovated, the building will include four general classrooms, a science classroom, a studio/art room, a learning lab, a workforce training room, student study space, faculty office and reception and advising areas.
Students in any Peninsula College location can connect to classes in another.
Turning 14,000 square feet of space in Building 202 into a home for Peninsula College has been planned since 2011, but action was postponed because of funding availability and change in the management of part of Fort Worden.
The public development authority 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 partnership with the public development authority could result in some new degree offerings, including one in hospitality management, Robins said.
Other programs could include shorter classes or seminars that don’t conform to the standard classroom format, he said.
“Fort Worden is always full during the summer, but we will be looking for ways to bring people here during the winter months,” Robins said.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.