City, County Weigh Shift of Library to Historic School

CAPE MAY – Cape May County released a request for proposals April 18 seeking a feasibility study “to determine the practical usefulness of the historic Franklin Street School” as a future home of a county library branch. 
The school, part of the Cape May National Landmark Historic District, is an important structure in the history of the city’s African-American community.
In 2002, the Center for the Community Arts (CCA) entered into an agreement with the city to share responsibility for the historic school and the annex which contains a gymnasium used by the city’s recreation department.
The original concept had been to convert part of the school to a community arts center. Over $700,000 in grant funds have been used to do the kinds of renovations “that cannot be seen,” according to CCA Director David MacKenzie at a council meeting last summer. This work included environmental remediation and structural rehabilitation.
“The building is now secure,” MacKenzie said, but he added that “everything inside still needs to be done.”
The current exploration of the potential of using the building as a new location for the Cape May City county library branch has been under discussion for several months. 
While the 8,500-square-foot building and its 4,300-square-foot annex would be much more than is required for library use, placing the library branch there would provide a programmatic future for the site and still leave room for multipurpose use.
Mayor Clarence Lear said the dream list for the building was a long one. “We have talked about still retaining the concept of a community arts center, and a location for a senior center,” Lear said.
One of the potential uses that Lear finds particularly exciting is a museum. “We do not really have a history center to display artifacts related to the city’s history,” he said.
The dream list even includes the possibility of adding a second floor to the existing annex to create more multipurpose space.
Concepts for use abound, but plans will await the results of the county study.
Knowing if the library will move into the space will allow greater specificity concerning the remaining space and its layout for other uses.
CCA holds a lease on the city-owned building which may need to be altered if the county becomes a leaseholder as well.
“CCA is partnering with the city on this and has been very supportive,” Lear said.
CCA has about $600,000 left of grant funds for building renovation. The city is supporting the non-profit’s request to get an extension on the grant so that the funds could potentially be used in conjunction with county monies.
The RFP is calling for bids by May 18 on what would be Phase One of the potential project. 
This phase calls for schematic design and construction cost estimates. The contractor would provide a structure analysis to determine the building’s ability to handle the load associated with a library, along with an inspection of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. 
The project’s design considerations “must include sensitivity to preservation and restoration of the historic structure.”
A separate Phase Two is contemplated in the RFP and would include complete design development, including all construction documents and construction administration estimates.
Lear expressed both optimism and excitement at the prospect of using the structure to support a variety of community-based initiatives.
No plans exist for the site of the current (Ocean Street) library branch which is also owned by the city. “This may become another charge to our Advisory Committee on Municipal Land and Buildings,” Lear said. “We need to consider if there is another use for that building or if the city should sell the property that is in the heart of the historic district.”
The crucial next step, before concrete plans can be made, is the result of the feasibility study which may point the way for a new future for the structure.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.