Parks commission recommends full Boone House renovation, asks council to fund project

The Parks and Community Services Commission on Wednesday reviewed a consultant design study for the Forest Home Farms Boone House and voted to recommend that the City Council pursue the full, single‑phase renovation rather than a multi‑phase approach.

The commission was presented two delivery options: a single, comprehensive construction contract that would take about 12–14 months and an estimated cost of just under $5 million; or a phased approach that breaks the work into pieces over multiple years, which the consultant estimated could add roughly $1 million in total costs if the phases run consecutively and would extend the construction window substantially. Consultant Kim (Trainer) summarized the single‑project choice: “the building is, of course, completely offline during that time,” meaning archives and staff functions would be relocated for the duration of construction.

Why it matters: the Boone House is a historic resource that the city and the Forest Home Farms Historic Foundation identified as a priority in previous master plans and community outreach. Commissioners said they prioritized completing structural, life‑safety and accessibility upgrades at once to minimize repeated relocations, long periods of construction disturbance, and cost escalation.

Details of the proposal and the commission’s direction

Staff described a program that preserves the building’s historic…