Commission signals support for School District—s Historic Carver campus revitalization; demolition of one building for parking discussed

Delray Beach city commissioners on March 31 heard a presentation from city staff and school district representatives about the Palm Beach County School District—s multi-phase plan to revitalize the Historic Carver campus and signaled support in concept for the district—s design, including demolition of one small building to create parking.

What was proposed: City staff said the School District included $20 million in its FY24 capital plan to renovate Buildings 1 and 12 (the former administration building and cafeteria) and to activate the campus as a career-and-technical education (CTE) hub with additional programming. The district—s plan already completed Phase 1 work: a new two-story classroom/administration building and renovation of the historic gymnasium to house CTE programs such as health sciences, HVAC/electrical and IT labs. The district—s Phase 2 proposal (targeted for completion by 2028) would renovate historic Buildings 1 and 12 to add culinary arts, cosmetology and additional CTE classrooms and would include a small community clinic. The district—s plan would also demolish Building 2 to create parking and service areas necessary to operate the campus in its new role.

Historic-status and approvals: City staff reported that the Florida Division of Historical Resources designated the campus buildings as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in February 2019 and identified Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 as contributing resources. City staff said the state-level designation requires the district to coordinate with the Department of Education and the Division of Historical Resources on any demolition or alteration plans and to present a mitigation plan for adverse impacts; the district will submit the design package and mitigation measures for review.

Why the parking/demolition is proposed: Multiple city staff explained that activating the campus for adult education, CTE programs and community access requires a larger parking footprint than the site historically provided. The school district told the commission that keeping Buildings 1 and 12 and removing Building 2 yields the greatest balance between preserving the campus—s most historically significant assets and creating the operational parking and circulation needed for a functional training and community campus.

Community and stakeholder responses: Commissioners and public commenters expressed both support and caution. Some public commenters and local preservation advocates asked that the city—s Historic Preservation Board be included in review and asked for a written memorandum of understanding (MOU) memorializing commitments on campus programming and timing. Genesis Community Health (a federally qualified health center) emailed the city saying it is interested in operating a clinic on the site and offered to provide a formal letter of intent; that outreach was placed on the record during the workshop.

Commissioner direction and outcome at workshop: The commission did not take a formal roll-call vote. By consensus, commissioners indicated they are comfortable supporting the district—s plan to move forward with the design process that includes renovating Buildings 1 and 12 and removing Building 2 to provide parking, subject to the district—s coordination with the Department of Historic Resources and to further discussion on specific agreements. Commissioners asked staff to: - Seek a formal MOU or written agreement with the school district documenting expected campus uses, timelines and commitments to CTE programming and community access; and - Coordinate review with the Historic Preservation Board and provide the commission with any design packets, RFP notices (for architecture) and materials submitted to the Department of Historic Resources.

School-district comments and next steps: School district staff and the district—s adult-education representatives said the district will issue an RFP for an architect, continue design work and coordinate required historic-resources mitigation. The district—s FY24 capital plan allocation of $20 million for Buildings 1 and 12 was noted and staff said Phase 2 design work aims for construction by 2028. The district—s representative said the proposed clinic could be operated by an outside health center partner rather than the city; Genesis Community Health indicated interest and offered to submit a formal letter of intent.

Ending: The commission—s consensus to allow the district to pursue the design package and demolition of Building 2 clears the way for the district to proceed with architect selection and historic-resources review; commissioners asked staff to return with any MOU language and to ensure the Historic Preservation Board and city planning staff review materials as they are submitted to state reviewers.