As you know, the City owns the former Simpsonville Elementary School building. The City has no definitive plan for its use or its renovation. Therefore,

The purpose of the feasibility study is to define the project’s benefits, strategic fit, and otherwise justify (or not) the project. Project costs and schedule are also determined in this phase (to a +/- 30% margin of error). Feasibility requires the study team to identify issues which must be resolved prior to project implementation and to develop a practical plan for moving forward once feasibility is approved. Feasibility includes evaluation of liabilities and risks that the City may need to mitigate as a result of a project’s implementation. This feasibility study shall be complete by no later than the first Committee of the Whole Meeting in January 2017. At that time, the team will submit to Council its findings, a formal recommendation, and all supporting documentation.

The project team will be supervised by an advisory team. The purpose of the advisory team is to guide and evaluate the work of the project team. They should critique the team’s work, make sure team recommendations follow logically from analysis, help craft recommendations and proposals so they will be understood by stakeholders, and identify issues the team needs to address in order to successfully evaluate and implement the project. I propose that the advisory team for this project be composed of David Dyrhaug, City Administrator; Jason Knudsen, City Planner; and Mayor Curtis, representing the Council.

The project team should be comprised of a variety of subject matter experts and stakeholders who have a vested interest in the project and have agreed to the time commitment. This team will be composed of 1) at least one member of the board of the Simpsonville Arts Foundation, Inc.; 2) at least one member with grant-writing and/or fundraising experience; 3) at least one member with experience in historical preservation and/or restoration; 4) at least one member with a background in construction; 5) at least one member representing the performing arts; 6) at least one member representing the visual arts; and 7) at least one citizen who has a vested interested in the project.  Notably, some of these requirements may be met by more than one member to keep the team at a more manageable level.  The advisory team shall be charged with appointing the project team and making adjustments to it during the course of the project as needed.