Title
Buena Vista Club House
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Staff seeks direction from the City Commission concerning the request to reconnect power to the Buena Vista Club House
BACKGROUND:
The Buena Vista Club House is a 1,012 square foot community meeting space located in Atkinson Park in the McLoughlin Neighborhood of Oregon City. Records indicate that the Buena Vista Social Club was formed in 1923 and that the structure was erected in 1930 by club members who moved the building onsite in two sections. This social club was created for the residents of the Buena Vista neighborhood of Oregon City and is a good example of a local neighborhood civic and social club. The building was taken over by the city of Oregon City in 1987 by request of the remaining club members. From 1987-2013 it was used as a rental facility for events, parks programs and private rentals. The last year of full operation saw 28 reservations and approximately $3,400 in revenue. The building was flagged by the Building Official in 2013 as a dangerous structure and was closed. Electrical service was disconnected from the house shortly after and minimal maintenance funds have been used on the building.
City staff are currently working with stakeholders to determine if the building can once again be open to the community. Staff have received estimates from construction firms on the repairs and improvements that would be required to reopen the house as a public meeting space. At this time a stakeholder group called Friends of Buena Vista Club House (FBVCH) are requesting that privately raised funds be used to reconnect power and have minimal levels of heat available to minimize the deteriorization of the structure until a long-term solution is identified.
A presentation was provided to the City Commission at a Work Session on March 12, 2019. The presentation focused on the history of the house, the repair and improvement requirements, the public engagement process, eligibility status for the national register of historic places and the request of the FBVCH to reconnect electricity to the structure. At the conclusion of the meeting, Commission directed staff to come back with the following information at a future Commission Meeting:
• Total cost to reconnect power to the house including insurance premiums and security
• Outline a workplan for Friends of Buena Vista Club House including fundraising benchmarks
The cost of reconnecting power to the house would be approximately $5,000. The FBVCH have raised private funds to pay for this work. The ongoing expense of paying electricity bills is estimated in the range of $500-$600 annually. Commissioners stated at the March 12th Work Session that the FBVCH should pay ongoing electricity bills. The FBVCH have let City staff know that a vote by the FBVCH board would need to occur to take on responsibility of electricity bill expenses. The FBVCH should be able to provide an update at the May 1st Commission Meeting. There would be no anticipated expenses for security needs at this time and staff have received confirmation from our insurance agent of record that there would not be any additional insurance premium expenses to reconnect power to the Buena Vista Club House. If the City Commission requires the FBVCH to pay for ongoing electricity bills, there would be no expenses incurred for the City to reconnect electricity.
At the request of the Commission, the FBVCH have provided a work plan outline for the next six months which includes goals of reconnecting power to the house, file an application for designation as a local landmark, pursue National Register of Historic Places listing, as well as fundraising and grant opportunities. The work plan can be found attached to this staff report.
BUDGET IMPACT:
Amount: No budget impact.
FY(s): FY2018-2019
Funding Source: N/A