The Richwood Revitalization Committee voted to ask the Village of Richwood Council to authorize the hiring of Triad Architects not to exceed $42,100 for the opera house revitalization project.
Brent Foley, partner and director of architecture and design at Triad Architects, met with the committee via Zoom recently.
“I think you guys are in the phases of really trying to figure out how best to approach the project, really to nail down the scope, nail down the budget and nail down a timeline, right?” Foley said. “That really is what the intent of our proposal is geared towards.”
Foley said his team would first field measure the building, then produce a 3-D model of the historical structure.
“It’s something you can use for preliminary renderings,” he said.
Then, the architectural team would begin the conceptual design process to determine how the building will be used.
“You can do a conceptual design report without consultants, however if we do bring consultants on board, meaning the structural, mechanical, electrical engineers, they’ll help inform those costs and they’ll be a little bit more accurate,” Foley explained.
Foley told the committee members they could forgo the mechanical and electrical engineering portions, which would cost roughly $11,000, but a “structural engineer’s involvement would be very important” based on the condition of the building.
He added that mechanical and electrical engineering portions could be added later.
He explained that the firm would use historical data to build an estimate for that portion if mechanical and electrical engineering are cut from the scope of work.
He added that Triad Architects will do a condition assessment to evaluate the status of the roofing, masonry and other structural elements “so that when we’re building a cost, we’re looking both at the options for how we’re going to repurpose the building but also just what needs to get done to get it what we call ‘warm, safe and dry.’”
Triad Architects will also create schematic design level drawings during option development. The firm and committee will hold option development meetings, in which stakeholders could participate.
Furthermore, the firm will conduct a code review during that process with local code officials.
After a final option is selected, the budget and the project timeline will be established.
“We would actually do budget for preliminary options as we’re moving to high level options budgets to help you make informed decisions as well because it’s not just the use, it’s the cost,” Foley said. “You might really like a use, but it may be too costly.”
Lastly, the firm would create three digital renderings of the interior and exterior of the former opera house in addition to floor plans “to try to sell the vision” to the community and other stakeholders.
Foley said the scope of work would cost $42,100 with the following breakdown: the base drawing development is $6,800, the architectural portion of the report is $16,300, the structural portion is $2,500, the mechanical/electrical portion is $11,000 and the creation of digital renderings is $5,500.
He recommended the committee pay the firm hourly, “so that if we spend less time we don’t charge you a fixed fee for something that we don’t do.”
Committee Vice Chair Aaron Smith said the firm is honoring the previous estimated quote and hourly rates set in the submitted contract proposal.
Tracy Plouck, committee member, asked if the firm’s work could be conducted in phases “because we’ll probably have to do multiple funding drives for specific portions of the work in the months and years ahead.” Foley replied that phasing the work would be “wise.”
“What’s nice about doing phasing from a fundraising standpoint is you raise some funds, do something, then you have something to show,” he said. “A lot of our projects like this where fundraising is a component are phased.”
Committee member Gail DeGood-Guy asked Foley for his honest opinion of the building.
Foley replied that the former opera house is “a striking piece of architecture” but “obviously there is a lot of work that needs to be done” He is concerned about water damage from leaks in the roof and clock tower and structural disrepair.
To comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), DeGood-Guy said the committee believes an elevator must be installed. She asked if the design process will address ADA requirements.
“We have a code review checklist that we go through and we would look at all those different things that would be needed. There could be a few instances where you wouldn’t need an elevator,” Foley responded. “I would imagine an organization like yourself that is about public and community, you’re going to want to make the building accessible because it probably feels like the right thing to do.”
He explained that his firm can conduct a Chapter 34 alternative compliance review for existing buildings.
“You can add certain code components to relieve you from having other code components,” Foley said. “It typically doesn’t relieve you much from the ADA side of things because that is a federal law in the building codes as well, but we would look through all those types of things.”
DeGood-Guy also asked if restrooms would have to be installed on both floors of the opera house to meet building code. He explained that “the building code allows you to travel up to one floor up or down to get to a restroom.”
“There may be cost advantages actually to putting them all on the second floor because you don’t have to do the underground plumbing. You can do everything in the ceiling area,” he said.
As the committee is applying to be included on the National Register of Historic Places, Foley said the firm can “coordinate efforts with SHPO” (State Historic Preservation Offices) to ensure the restoration does not jeopardize the opera house’s listing on the register.
In other news:
-Treasurer Rachel Shadel reported that the committee has not received the $50,000 capital funds yet from 2020. The committee is reserving $12,500 of the expected capital funds for Sarah Barr’s feasibility study and $37,500 of this for the architect, assuming the committee forgoes paying themselves back for the last payment to David Derwacter of Derwacter & Associates, LLC of Zanesville. There is $11,676 in the Opera House Fund, which includes $537 in donations from the Richwood-North Union Alumni Banquet since the last meeting. Additionally, the committee has at least $3,572 in the Richwood Bank coffee fund, bringing total resources to $15,248. The committee is also expected to receive $150,000 from the 2022 capital budget to reinforce the load-bearing area beneath newly stabilized trusses. The committee will have to evaluate the project, as there is a $20,000 difference between funds requested and funds awarded.
-Shadel is creating a QR code to allow for cashless donations until the DipJar device arrives.
-Sarah Sellers, the village’s fiscal officer, will keep the committee’s donation jar and DipJar device in her office. DeGood-Guy created a sign-out sheet for committee members to fill out when taking either fundraising equipment to events.
-Plouck offered to donate $80 to set up a tent or trailer at the Richwood Independent Fair. The committee plans to have representatives there several hours Wednesday through Sunday to raise awareness about the project.
-All donations between June and September will support purchasing a rubber roof and repairing leaks in the clock tower of the opera house.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m.