91视频

A long and tedious effort to redevelop a former cannery in Sherwood is likely to be delayed further.

Sherwood’s city manager last week announced that a former metal shop 鈥� targeted for renovation into a community center 鈥� should be demolished because of instable roof-supporting trusses.

Now, the city council is weighing whether to fix the trusses and move forward with the renovation, or tear down the shop and build a new facility. Both options would cost Sherwood time and money, according to Tom Pessemier, assistant city manager.

鈥淭hey are repairable and fixable, and we could (get) a long life out of the roof structure, but it will cost money and be an effort,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we go in that direction, that’s what we’ll do. 鈥� We know it’s going to be more expensive to do a new building, but we’re finding out it’s not tremendously more expensive.鈥�

But that cost difference isn’t clear. The original estimated cost for the community center was $4 million. The council is contemplating a variety of factors, including energy efficiency and annual maintenance, before deciding how to proceed, Pessemier said.

The trusses’ damage likely is a result of aging; the former metal shop was first used as storage space for the cannery in the early 20th century. In the late 1970s, it was converted into shop space for companies such as an automobile parts supplier and an organ repair business.

Initially, the city believed that only one of the building’s six trusses was damaged. However, after a detailed inspection, it became clear that all had defects, Pessemier said.

鈥淭here are multiple damaged trusses in it, but there’s one that (has) pretty much bailed,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey’re big trusses 鈥� there are only six in the entire building that hold the roof up.鈥�

The city manager recommended demolishing the building; however, the trusses are easily repairable, Pessemier said.

Building new would involve complete redesign and a restart of the permitting process. Pessemier believes it would extend the project by six months.

鈥淭hat would be the only delay 鈥� going back and doing the design and getting new permits and constructing it,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut nothing too significant.鈥�

The project’s developer, , has no preference in whether the building is renovated or replaced, according to Chris Nelson, co-founder of the company.

鈥淲hat is most important is the programming that will go in inside the new community center and the positive impact it will have on the urban renewal within Old Town,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hether it is a renovated building or new construction, the city is committed to a first-class facility that will integrate architecturally with the overall Cannery Square mixed-use project.鈥�

Plans to redevelop the former cannery were proposed in 2004, when the city purchased the site with $4 million of urban renewal money. After three years of planning, the city in 2007 hired Capstone to develop the site with a mix of housing, retail space and public space.

Some efforts have come to fruition. This past winter, workers built a $1.7 million brick plaza where Sherwood’s Saturday Market operates. And last month, construction began on a 101-unit high-end apartment complex called the Residences at Cannery Square.

However, a complaint filed in 2010 by three citizens held up work. And before that, roads had to be redesigned to account for an unmitigated wetlands area and avoid a Clean Water Services buffer zone.

After the community center is built, three more construction phases 鈥� 21,000 square feet of commercial space 鈥� are planned.

The project is still moving forward and will eventually turn the square into a meaningful place for Sherwood citizens, Pessemier said.

鈥淚t kind of just focuses that community meeting space in our Old Town area, which is where a lot of people want to meet, but we just don’t have a good space (for that),鈥� he said.