Stuck in a building that is costly to fix, Bellingham school district considers moving
The Bellingham School District is considering moving its administrative offices into a yet-to-be-built facility in the Barkley District.
For the past two years the school district has been evaluating whether it would be better to remodel its current offices at 1306 Dupont St. or move to a new building. In an email sent to school families Wednesday, Bellingham Superintendent Greg Baker said a remodel would be very costly and the district could likely save more than $1 million by moving into a new building.
Problems at the current 111-year-old district office include major structural deficiencies as well as systems such as electrical and heating that are at the end of their useful life, he said in the email. The district also had issues with inadequate meeting space and basement flooding.
Seismic safety aspects of the building would be the most complex and expensive to renovate, said Dana Smith, communications manager for the district.
Baker is proposing that the district purchase an undeveloped plot of land at 1985 Barkley Blvd. from The Barkley Company and build a facility. Before making a decision, the school district is soliciting feedback from the community, which includes hosting a public meeting 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the Dupont Street district office.
The current district office was formerly the Roeder Elementary School, built in 1908. It has at least partially been used as administrative offices since the 1950s and ceased being a school in 1972, said Smith in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
Along with the high cost of renovating an old building, Baker cited several other reasons why they concluded moving was a better option:
▪ Baker said there would be significant expense in temporarily leasing space for staff during the estimated 18-24 months it would take to complete the remodel.
▪ The Barkley option would be a more central location for parents within the district and provide ample parking for the events that take place. At the current office, parking is limited “which can be frustrating for visitors, families and neighbors who receive the overflow of cars when we have large meetings or staff trainings,” Baker said.
▪ The new facility would allow for the possibility to bring in other related services, including early childhood services. It’s also on a bus line and is near a variety of other services, including medical offices and a grocery store.
If the school district does move, Baker said they intend to sell the Dupont Street property. Funding for a remodel or move would come from a bond approved by voters for this purpose in 2013. The estimated budget from the 2013 bond is $17 million, Smith said.
What this would mean for Barkley District
The Barkley Company is excited about the prospect of selling the property to the school district, said Neal Swanson, vice president and managing broker for the company. Swanson said in an interview with The Herald that adding a government entity that regularly hosts public meetings would help with the company’s goal of making Barkley a fully rounded neighborhood.
He noted that if the school district moved to the area, it would mean about 100 more office workers in the area. It would add a different worker demographic to the area, which some residents still consider primarily a financial district.
Barkley announced plans to build a 50,000-square-foot office building last year, but this current plan calls for the school district to design and construct the building.
Selling property to be developed by someone else is something the Barkley Company has done in the past. Of the 30 buildings developed in the area along Barkley Boulevard and Woburn Street, 10 were built by other developers.
