PORT TOWNSEND — Plans for making the historic building known as the Customs House accessible to those who can’t climb stairs will require a carefully orchestrated sequence to manage the financing and execution of the project, City Manager David Timmons said.
“We’re working on temporary financing that will allow it to go through, and once it’s completed we’ll do something more permanent,” Timmons said.
The desired result is to transfer ownership and control of the building at 1322 Washington St. from the U.S. Postal Service to the city.
The historic building, which was constructed in 1893 to house the U.S. Customs office, serves as Port Townsend’s post office.
It has no handicapped access now. The Postal Service provides drive-up service for people with disabilities, while seeking an accessible substation.
The first step needed in order for transfer of ownership is to move the mail- sorting facility to an off-site location, which will free the ground floor for other purposes.
Retrofit
Following this, the building is to be retrofitted for handicapped access, which involves the installation of an elevator.
This will bring the building in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, solving a problem that has existed for several years.
“This is a living, functioning part of our community,” said Bonnie Bolster, a member of the Disabilities Awareness Starts Here — or DASH — board of directors.
“It should be accessible, at last.”
The project will be undertaken by Port Townsend’s newly-created Public Development Authority, which will provide funding through bond sales, Timmons said.
As a result, there will be no public money involved, nor will City Council approval be required for its completion.
Timmons said the public development authority wants to locate the sorting facility on a 2-acre parcel owned by Jefferson County on Park Avenue and Howard Street.
The county, which does not have a current assessment for the parcel, is not anxious to sell the land.
“With the current economic conditions, we cannot sell the land for what it will be worth in the long term,” said County Administrator Philip Morley.
“And improvements on Sims Way will increase its value.”
One possibility, both Timmons and Morley said, is for the city to purchase an adjoining parcel from a private owner and trade it for the corner property.
Money for the purchase of the land, construction of the sorting facility, and retrofitting of the Customs House would be raised by the public development authority through the sales of municipal bonds, Timmons said.
While no final plans have been approved, Timmons estimates it will cost about $1.5 million to build a 4,000 to 5,000 square-foot sorting facility, and about $300,000 to install the elevator.
The elevator shaft would be created from existing vault space that is situated in the same place on each floor, with access into the building provided through a ramp leading to what is now the sorting facility.
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Jefferson County reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
