Title
Consideration and Selection of a Conceptual Design Option for the Women's Army Corp (WAC) Building
Recommended Motion
I move that Council select conceptual design option _____ for the WAC Building and proceed to final design of the project.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council select conceptual design option 1a to move forward to final design.
Body
According to historical records, the Women’s Army Corp. or WAC building was constructed in 1943 during the Manhattan Project as a dormitory to house members of the WAC. In 2019, the County was approached by the Christian Science Society about their desire to sell the property. County Council approved the purchase of the property and the sale closed in early 2020.
To determine an appropriate renovation and reuse of the property, the County contracted with Mullen-Heller Architecture under a services agreement to perform the design and public engagement services necessary to develop the project. To date, the design team has obtained public and stakeholder input through a series of public meetings and developed four concepts (Options 1, 1a, 2 and 3) along with estimated costs for the public and County Council to consider before proceeding on one preferred option for final design. Another part of the scope of services is to investigate the process to register the facility with the Register of Historic Places with the U.S. National Park Service and State of New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. This historic investigation is taking place in parallel with the design efforts so that the conceptual design options can be informed by the discovered historical features of the building. A major goal of the project is to assess the building and site, determine a programmed use through community engagement and provide construction documents that will meet the program needs, yet not lose the historic character and significance of the building.
Attachment B contains the d...
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