Res 2013-050/Substantial amendment to CDBG plan to change the use of Cephas House

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Substantial Amendment Proposal Cephas House Change in Use BACKGROUND The purchase of the Cephas House, 217 W. MLK Ave., San Marcos Texas, was funded through the 2002 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan. The Action Plan lists the proposed use as: "The City has approved the acquisition of property that includes the historical Cephas House, to be renovated with a public /private partnership. The property will be an annex to the Calaboose museum and public facility." The acquisition was completed in 2003 and the City is currently completing the renovation of this historic structure. During the Section 106 (historic property) portion of the environmental review the City conducted a number of stakeholder workshops that included discussions of the best use of the Cephas house. Alternative uses were proposed, including the building's use as a cultural arts center. In 2011 the City issued a Request for Proposals that allowed non - profit organizations an opportunity to submit proposals for the lease and use of the Cephas House as a public facility; no proposals were submitted. Any deviation from the use stated in the 2002 Action Plan requires the completion of a Substantial Amendment process carried out in compliance with the adopted Citizen's Participation Plan. The annual CDBG Action Plan and CAPER include this plan in the appendix section of the documents. City staff have proposed an alternate use of the Cephas House and on February 19th received the City Council's approval to initiate a substantial amendment to the City's 2009 -2014 Consolidated Plan. PROPOSED USE The City Community Services — Parks and Recreation Division will utilize the Cephas House as a site where a variety of small cultural arts and leisure classes and programs are provided to the residents of San Marcos. In addition to the programming functions, the Cephas House will provide a venue for the display of the history of the Dunbar Neighborhood, its prominent citizens, and the importance of the African - American presence in the growth and development of San Marcos. A small office space is included in the facility for incidental use by City staff in the provision of programming at the site. Proposed beneficiaries: The variety of programming that can be offered at this site will appeal to a number of demographic groups including children, youth, seniors, and persons with a disability. The programming will be available to all residents of San Marcos, creating a city -wide service area.