School Dis Partner Dwntn Resour
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MEMORANDUM
July 27,2004
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TO:
Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Dubuque Community School District Partnership
The Dubuque Community School District is in the process of finalizing plans for the
construction of a new Downtown Elementary School.
Preliminary plans were presented to City staff for the new Downtown Elementary
School, which showed space for an additional 4,200 SF, which is not in the current work
plan. The School District is trying to identify possible partners and their needs in
regards to the additional space. This space is not included within the present $8 million
budget, and it is estimated the area would cost between $400,000 to $550,000
($130/SF). The District has discussed part of its use as a daycare, and was interested
in the needs of the City of Dubuque. A Neighborhood Resource Center was discussed
as an option to hold neighborhood meetings and provide space for community-oriented
uses.
The new Downtown School provides an opportunity for the City, the School District,
Neighborhood Associations, residents, students and their families to develop
partnerships in a facility that will provide a community meeting and gathering place for
all. Partnering with the School District to create a Downtown Community School is
consistent with the City Council neighborhood reinvestment strategy, objectives
identified in the Downtown Master Plan and the Cities Housing and Community
Development Five Year Consolidated Plan. Increasing the community use of school
buildings, greater community access to facilities, and improved security and safety in
the surrounding neighborhood help to strengthen and revitalize neighborhoods~
The District is on a fast-track process with the Prescott project and will be requesting
approval of the conceptual plan from the School Board on August 9th.
I respectfully recommend Mayor and City Council approval of cost sharing in the
amount of $250,000 so that 2,000 to 2,500 SF of the facility is available for a
Neighborhood Resource Center. This would also provide the neighborhood with after-
hours access to other parts of the building, like the gymnasium, cafeteria and the
computer room.
The City currently has $900,000 budgeted in Fiscal Year 2006 to create additional
parking opportunities in the Port of Dubuque. There currently is not a plan to construct
that parking and no pending development that needs the financial support for parking. It
is anticipated that the funding will be needed in the future, so it would be recommended
for rebudgeting in the next budget process. However, for this more urgent and timely
need, $250,000 could be committed towards this neighborhood project.
(1 l /l v" ¡J{lt__~
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/dll
cc:
Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Dawn Lang, Budget Director
David Harris, Housing Services Manager
Bill Baum, Economic Development Director
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NEW DOWNTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
UPPER LEVEL FLOOR PLAN
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OPTION
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LOV"ß<. LEVEL FLOOR PLAN
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