Bluff council reviews Cooperative Cultural Center plans, funding and asbestos remediation options

Bluff town staff and council members on Dec. 9 discussed how to move the Cooperative Cultural Center (CCC) from design into construction while managing multiple grant deadlines and a known asbestos issue.

Malia Collins, the project's presenter, said the CCC is envisioned as ‘‘workforce childcare, rentable office and conference space, [a] potential library, senior center space, town offices and an art gallery’’ and reported that the town has multiple grant awards supporting the project. "We have $269,000 of the $445,000 awarded" from the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO remaining to allocate, Collins said, along with a $166,650 EECBG award for lighting and insulation, a USDA $50,000 line for fire-suppression materials, and a Cultural Capital award of $79,450 with $41,781 still available.

Collins told the council that construction documents have been delivered and a design review committee will meet to verify the plans, but she flagged asbestos abatement as a prerequisite to demolition: "Asbestos must be addressed prior to any demolition occurs," she said and reported a contractor quote of about $35,000 to remove asbestos. Staff and council members discussed whether to remove asbestos outright or encapsulate it, disposal costs, and whether demolition should be performed in one full scope or phased as funding becomes available.

Councilmember Anne Lappenan questioned the representativeness of the town's outreach, noting that Collins' September survey returned only eight responses: "Surveys aren't bulletproof, but realistically, if we only heard back from 8 people ... that speaks volumes," she said. Councilmembers agreed the sample was small but still found the update useful.

Conversation also covered demolition cost assumptions and priorities. Staff cited a prior estimate of about $4 per square foot, which for ~19,000 square feet would yield roughly $76,000 for interior gutting; Collins said she would check earlier documentation for an itemized breakdown. Other budget items under consideration include replacing 14 single-pane windows (staff estimate: about $20,000) and possible solar canopy installations, which would affect construction staging and right-of-way considerations.

Council members discussed contractor procurement strategy and whether to advertise a demolition-specific RFP early in January to secure a contractor willing to phase work. Collins recommended that the town consider using remaining GOEO funds to complete demolition so that other grants (for lighting/insulation and fire suppression) can be spent down within their deadlines.

Next steps: the design review committee will meet to review construction documents and Collins said staff will prepare a demolition bid packet and look up prior cost breakdowns; council asked staff to bring final recommendations and updated cost and deadline information to the next meeting for formal direction.

The presentation and discussion contained no formal votes; council members emphasized that, at this work session, no binding decisions were made and that the item will return for action at a future meeting.