HomeMy WebLinkAboutSEOPW-CRA-2000-01-24-Discussion Item 16White Paper Regarding Camillus House
On March 13, 1998 the Chairman of the CRA, Arthur E. Teele met with Brother
Paul, the then CEO of Camillus House and Peter England, Director of
Development. This meeting was scheduled to discuss and to explore alternative
avenues to resolve the current situation that has existed for years around
Camillus House feeding facility in the area of Park West which for years has
negatively impacted the potential for redevelopment and property values in the
area. In the meeting, Commissioner Teele acting in his position as Chairman of
the CRA committed to the assistance of the resolution of these issues and
include in the 2000 CRA Budget funds to upset costs associated with any
improvements as well as to use he CRA as the vehicle to facilitate them.
Subsequently on October 10, 1998 the Chairman met with Brother Raphael, the
current CEO, Mr. England as well as with a representative of the Camillus House
Board to further confirm the intent of the CRA to work with Camillus House in
facilitating the improvement of their current facility by providing planning,
architectural, and engineering services. The intent is to facilitate, in their present
location or in an alternative location, if necessary, a state of the arts facility that
would allow Camillus House to continue their service to the community while
minimizing impacts to the surrounding areas. In turn the CRA could serve as the
vehicle to acquire either by purchase or by eminent domain the necessary land in
the event a relocation would be deemed necessary. In turn the CRA would also
have the right to acquire the land where the present facility is located.
The CRA studied and evaluated alternative locations and analyzed the
requirements of a state of the arts facility to create a design program for the new
facility. Presently the facility does not meet the requirements of a modern
community service facility of this type that would serve the community while
mitigating any negative impacts to the surrounding area. This analysis
concluded that approximately $6 million would be necessary to build a new
facility and if a new location would be needed land costs would run in the range
of $2 million.
It is the number one concern of the CRA that while these discussions and
evaluations are taking place that the following is taken into consideration:
• Coordinate the timing and the planning so as to not accelerate speculative
actions before adequate funding is obtained to build a state of the arts facility
for Camillus House
• Mitigate any negative impacts in this initial phase as to avoid creating public
community opposition to improvement or relocation of the facility if necessary
• Elevate site issue analysis as the most important element in the eventual
resolution of a new and improved facility
• Satisfy the programmatic and site requirements of Camillus House as a state
of the arts facility at their current location or at an alternative location if it is
deeded necessary
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