MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Morgantown City Council will decide on changes to the pension board members and a new lease with the Monongalia Arts Center for the historic post office building on High Street.
The building was built in 1913 and is currently home to Your Community Foundation. the Morgantown History Museum and Monongalia Arts Center.
President of Historic Post of Morgantown, Inc. Board Jane Cardi told council members they plan major renovations totaling an estimated $10 million will be completed over the next five to seven years.
According to Cardi, sealing the building to allow other work to continue was the first goal of the renovation.
“In about two weeks the roof work will be completed and Arch Masonry will come back in and finish the masonry work,” Cardi said. “So, we have almost completed the first part of this project.”
That work was paid through a bank loan that was repaid with tenant rental income.
The next step will be meetings to determine how the groups share the space. That information will be given to the designer who could have a proposed layout of the interior by the fall.
Before the layout is complete, Cardi said they will pursue state, local and federal grants to fund the next phase of the renovation that is expected to cost about $2 million.
“Package 2 will involve replacing and upgrading all the mechanics in the building- heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing,” Cardi Said. “We will also install an elevator that spans all three floors.”
The new prerenovation lease term with the city would be for $10-per square for 4,000-square feet for a term of 42 months, according to City manager Kim Haws.
“So, it would end up being about $40,000 a year,” Haws said. “The post revitalization period you’re looking at $15-per-square foot which would equate to $60,000-a-year.”
City Manager Haws said the pension board is authorized to have five members, but has been operating with just three members. Haws wants available board members to manage the pensions for workers from MUB, the Morgantown Parking Authority and the city.
“Whether it’s three, whether it’s four or whether it’s two because we don’t want to get in a position where we can’t offer payment opportunities to our pension members,” Haws said.
The adjustment Haws wants make he believes will give the deciding board balance in the future.
No more than two employees of any of those three entities can hold any of the board positions,” Haws proposed. “That way it will not be monopolized by any one group.”
The Morgantown Parking Authority employs 13 people that monitor and manage 2,202 parking spaces in 9 surface lots, 4 parking garages, and along 14 City streets 24 hours a day, 6 days a week in downtown. In July of 2010, the organization began working with the Morgantown Police Department in the residential parking areas as well.
Parking Authority Director Dana McKenzie asked council members to consider a new space for equipment maintenance and parking authority workers to conduct some business and repairs. McKenzie proposed the corner of the parking garage at University Avenue and Wall Street could be remodeled to provide a work space.
Parking Authority improvements will be considered after more design information is received.