Board Of Trustees Ends Year With St. Paul’s
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

The future of the historic main building at St. Paul’s was one of the biggest issues discussed by the Garden City Board of Trustees this year, and it looks like it will continue to be the focus of both residents and trustees in 2007.

At the last meeting of the year on Dec. 21, the Board voted to approve payment of $37,270 for additional work performed by subcontractors hired by consultant Karen Backus & Associates. Trustees also voted to enter into a professional services contract with the consultant, not to exceed $120,000, to be spent on future work.

Real estate consulting firm K. Backus & Associates, Inc. was hired by the Board in August 2005 to consider the possibility of undertaking redevelopment of the building within the existing envelope, and to use it for a restoration, reconstruction and redevelopment by private developers for possible reuse as a high-end residential facility. The total cost of the agreement was not to exceed $155,000. Phase I was the project feasibility analysis, which cost $59,000. Phase II included RFP development at a total cost of $40,000.

Trustee John Mauk, second deputy mayor and chairman of the mayor-appointed Trustees’ Committee focusing on the St. Paul’s issue, announced that the consultant is entering the third phase, which will include selection of a developer and finalization of a contract. The cost of this phase is not to exceed $50,000.

He said that the process “hasn’t gone 1-2-3” and the consultant is looking to be compensated for $37,270 in additional unintended expenses incurred by subcontractors in the earlier phases, including additional requirements for drawings and financial assessments. The consultant also spent more time on the project due to delays from some respondents.

In addition, the Board voted to approve a professional services contract with K. Backus not to exceed $120,000. Mauk explained that the consultant will be billed at an hourly rate for upcoming work performed, which will include compiling analyses of all received proposals, working to alienate the parkland designation, conducting a public opinion survey and getting information out to the public.

“There’s really a plethora of additional tasks which need to be undertaken as we go forward on this for which we are going to need further assistance from the consultant,” Mauk said. “What we’re trying to do is spend the money now to determine what’s doable and what’s not so that we avoid incurring a lot of additional expenses if we make the wrong decision.”

In other St. Paul’s news, Trustee Mauk announced that his committee met with the Committee to Save St. Paul’s and both sides mutually agreed to give CSSP until January to get more information. Another respondent was also given additional time. Trustee Nicholas Episcopia said he would like the trustees’ committee to give a report at the end of January on how much has been spent so far and where the committee is headed.