Kemper Center repairs, chapel work and shoreline plan move to phased approach after federal grant change

County parks staff and vendors updated the committee on repairs and studies at the Kemper Center and on designs for the adjacent shoreline, saying the chapel repairs will be bid after specifications are delivered and that the shoreline plan will shift to a phased approach after a federal grant opportunity was canceled.

Supervisor-level questions focused on timing, historic-preservation requirements for work in the chapel, budget lines available for Kemper projects, and whether a multi-phase shoreline approach would raise total costs compared with completing work all at once.

Parks staff said they combined two planned studies into a single facility-condition assessment to simplify the work and to ensure specialists who understand the Kemper Center's status as a nationally registered historic building can coordinate with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Staff said the combined study budget is $100,000 and includes a "bone study" (foundation assessment) and a square-footage analysis requested by supervisors. On the chapel repairs, staff said they expect to receive specifications in September and to put the work out to bid in October, with construction targeted for the winter so the building can be available for rentals next summer.

Parks staff noted that because the Kemper Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, some elements will need SHPO review to determine whether features are original and whether they should be restored rather than replaced. "If we want to replace something, we have to go through them," a parks official said, describing use of appropriate preservation standards for fixtures and finishes.

On the shoreline, staff said they had pursued a FEMA grant that could have covered the entire estimated shoreline cost (the current estimate was cited at roughly $34 million), but the federal program was canceled and outstanding awards were rescinded. After that memo, staff reopened the county's contract with consultant Baird to develop a phased approach for shoreline repair and said phasing would make pursuing other grants easier and spread capital costs if the county must fund work locally. Staff cautioned that doing the work in phases likely increases mobilization costs and could raise the aggregate cost of construction over time.

Supervisors asked whether the county had multiple cost estimates; staff said the county currently has the estimate prepared by Baird and that redelivery of plans and a phased scope are in progress. One supervisor said a phased approach could cost "a hell of a lot more money" because of repeated mobilization and material-availability risks; staff acknowledged that phased work can be more expensive but said it can make grant applications and capital budgeting more feasible.

Staff said they would return to the committee with phased plans and timelines. Supervisors repeatedly asked for clear cost comparisons between doing the work all at once and phasing it, and staff said they would provide that analysis when the consultant completes the phased scope.

Ending: Parks staff asked supervisors to review upcoming materials and said they will bring phased shoreline options and the facility-condition assessment results back to the committee for decision-making and budgeting.