Memorandum

City of Lawrence

TO:	Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
Date:	March 27, 2008
RE:	Carneige Building renovation

As outlined in the attached memorandum, staff is recommending that we proceed with the next steps for the renovation of former Arts Center building/ Carneige library building at 7^th and Vermont, primarily the adoption of a site plan for the facility and authorizing staff to proceed with establishing a bid date. The building will be used for City purposes as outlined by previous Commission direction: the top floor will be utilized by our Parks and Recreation department, including the opportunity to rent the large rooms for public/private gatherings; the bottom floor will be the permanent home of Destination Management, Inc. housing the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau and the offices of Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. These uses will maximize the public investment in this facility, and achieve a number of community and Commission goals related to strengthening downtown and our heritage tourism opportunities. While the City will face a number of financial challenges and the need to prioritize expenditures, I recommend that we proceed with this investment at this time because of the value we will receive from a completed facility and the loss of grant funds/tax credits if we fail to timely proceed.