Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council authorize the City Manager to execute the documents to transfer ownership of the Old Rockville Post Office from the Federal Government (General Services Administration) to the City of Rockville. These documents include the Quit-Claim Deed and the Maryland Historic Trust Preservation Easement.

Discussion
The Rockville Post Office ceased full time operations in October 2006. The Federal Government/General Services Administration (GSA) has determined the property to be surplus for Federal government use. Staff notified the GSA in September of 2005 of the City's interest in acquiring the Post Office for a Police use. After three years pursuing this acquisition, the City of Rockville has been offered the opportunity to obtain the property for a Homeland Security/Public Safety use. With this proposed use the Federal Government will transfer ownership of the building and site at no charge. The Mayor and Council have made it a policy priority to work with the Federal and State of Maryland governments to acquire, preserve and adaptively re-use the former Rockville Post Office as the Rockville Police Headquarters.

The City of Rockville regards the former Post Office as an important civic structure and worthy of preservation and continued public use. The City’s ownership of the former Post Office property for use as our Police Headquarters ensures its long-term viability as a public structure. The City believes the former Post Office should continue to be operated as a civic building, open and accessible to the public on a regular basis.

The City has a strong and proven track record in preserving important and historic properties, and has the means to sustain the long-term capital and operating budget needs of the Post Office once it is adapted for use as the Police Department Headquarters. Design funding for the Police Headquarters adaptive re-use is currently appropriated in the Capital Improvements program. Additional design and construction funding totaling $6,022,699 is recommended for FY 2010.

One of the basic tenets of community-oriented policing, for which the Rockville Police is widely known and respected, is to have the Police Department in a central and easily accessible location for all citizens. Being in the Town Center area in close proximity to public parking, bus lines and the Metro station makes the former Post Office building an ideal location.

Given the proposed law enforcement use, substantial improvements to the site and building will be required, primarily interior upgrades. The City of Rockville has undergone a substantial due diligence study to determine how it would use the building and site. As the building is an important historic structure within the City fabric, it is imperative that any proposed design both maintains the significant historic presence and features of the building, while addressing the rigorous demands of a fully functioning law enforcement agency. To that end, the City has proposed a design for adaptive reuse that preserves the streetscape along South Washington Street and West Montgomery Avenue and the principle exterior facades of the Post Office and the key historic features of the interior – the lobby and 1932 WPA mural – while also generating a fully functional Police Headquarters.

The City has worked closely with the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) to present its plans for reuse of the Post Office and has obtained MHT’s written approval for this undertaking. The Rockville Historic District Commission will undergo a courtesy review of the plans at their September 18 meeting. In addition, Peerless Rockville, which has been a vocal advocate for this local landmark for decades, has recently written to the Mayor and Council expressing their support for the City’s proposed use. Quoting from Peerless Rockville’s letter, “Peerless is pleased with the City’s commitment to respect the historic building, particularly the two principal facades on South Washington Street and West Montgomery Avenue and retaining the interior vestibule and main lobby with their original features, materials and finishes. Peerless appreciates and understands the expanded requirements of police departments and high building code standards, and recognizes that changes must be made to the less significant areas of the property to accommodate these modern demands.”

City staff looks forward to working with the Mayor and Council, the Historic District Commission, the Maryland Historic Trust, local neighborhood associations and Rockville residents to carry out these plans to adapt the use of this local historic landmark for a 21st century Police Headquarters in a manner that will make the entire community proud.

Mayor and Council History

• City staff notified the Mayor and Council of the potential to acquire the Old Post Office in the fall of 2005.
• A Project Tracking sheet was created in March 2006 and the Mayor and Council have received quarterly updates since then.
• The Mayor and Council approved the City's formal application to acquire the Post Office at their meeting on May 21, 2007.
• Staff and our consultant, Edward Masek, presented the results of the Feasibility/Due Diligence Study to the Mayor and Council on July 16, 2007. This report included building condition, feasibility for Police uses, concept renovation/improvement designs, parking, capital and operating costs.
• The Mayor and Council approved funding for design of the adaptive re-use of the Post Office in the FY 2008 Capital Improvements Program Budget.

Public Notification and Engagement

• The Post Office/Police Station project has been included in City Projects on the website since March of 2006.
• City staff has presented updates on the project to the West End Civic Association and other neighborhood associations annually for the past three years.
• The Mayor and Council have taken actions (described above) in public, televised meetings over the past three years.
• The project has been reported in Rockville Reports over the past three years.

Boards and Commissions Review
The Historic District Commission is scheduled to conduct a courtesy review of the project at their September 18, 2008 meeting and will formally review the City's plans at a meeting in the future.
The Recreation and Park Advisory Board has regularly reviewed progress on this project as part of their project review process.

Fiscal Impact
CIP funding in the amount of $6,390,379 is scheduled in the FY 2009-2013 budget; there is another $1,500,000 identified as unfunded in the project. The City has applied for Federal funding in the amount of $350,000 to support acquisition/installation of state-of-the-art communication for the new Police Headquarters. Operating costs for the new Police facility will add approximately $106,000 to the FY 2011 budget.

Next Steps
Following Mayor and Council approval, the City Manager will approve and sign the deed of transfer (Quit-Claim Deed) and the Maryland Historical Trust Easement, completing the transfer of ownership of the Old Post Office and site. A ceremonial transfer event with the GSA, Federal and State officials will be scheduled in October. City staff will proceed with an award for the next phases of design for the adaptive re-use of the Post Office.

Department Head:



Burt Hall, Director of Recreation and Parks
Approved on: 09/10/2008

Deputy City Manager:


Catherine Tuck Parrish, Deputy City Manager
Approved on: 09/10/2008

City Manager:

Scott Ullery, City Manager
Approved on: 09/11/2008