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City of Tukwila <br />Allan Ekberg, Mayor <br />TO: Finance Committee <br />FROM: Henry Hash, Public Works Director <br />BY: Benton Coblentz, Research Assistant <br />CC: Mayor Ekberg <br />DATE: February 19, 2020 <br />SUBJECT: Grant Application for Old Tukwila School and City Hall <br />ISSUE <br />Staff requests Committee approval to submit an application to 4Culture for a Preservation <br />Special Projects grant for up to $15,000 to create a preservation plan for the Tukwila Heritage <br />and Cultural Center. <br />BACKGROUND <br />The Old Tukwila School and City Hall building is a City -owned facility built in the early 1920s <br />located at 14475 59th Ave S. It houses the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center and is leased <br />by the City to the Tukwila Historical Society. It has been listed on the National Register of <br />Historic Places since 1979. <br />DISCUSSION <br />The physical condition of the Old City Hall building has slowly degraded, with paint chipping <br />away on the siding, root intrusion under the asphalt parking lot and sidewalk, inadequate <br />drainage, water damage, and deterioration of the window glazing and flashing. The status of <br />the building needs immediate repair to ensure the long-term sustainability and safety of the <br />building. If repairs are delayed too long, the costs and health risks could grow significantly. <br />In order to restore the building while protecting its historical integrity, staff recommends hiring a <br />consultant to conduct a formal assessment of the building and develop a preservation plan. A <br />preservation plan for the building would detail the current condition, the necessary repairs, and <br />the staging of the restoration of the building. Hiring a consultant to develop a preservation plan <br />would cost in the range of $20,000. <br />In order to fund the development of a preservation plan, staff recommends the City apply for <br />grant funding from 4Culture. The Preservation Special Projects grant from 4CUlture funds <br />projects like the development of preservation plans for historic buildings in King County. In <br />2019, 11 projects received a total of $94,766 in funding. Awards typically range from $1,000 to <br />$10,000, with the largest award in recent years being in the amount of $15,000 in 2019. <br />The Preservation Special Projects grant application is due March 4, 2020. Recipients of this <br />grant money must contribute to the protection of King County's historic buildings, provide a <br />public benefit for King County residents and visitors, complete the project before December 31, <br />2021, and be able to complete the project on a reimbursement basis. 4Culture assesses <br />applications based on their quality, their public benefit, and their feasibility. Further, successful <br />applications often demonstrate the timely nature of the project, a positive impact for <br />133 <br />