— by Lin McNulty —
Nearly 40 interested people gathered to hear the latest on the Exchange.
If you know a naysayer that freely expressed an opinion that the Exchange would never be rebuilt, you just might want to let him or her know that while it’s not quite time–yet–to empty the garage, the aspirational agenda certainly indicates it is time to prioritize those items and perhaps move them closer to the door.
While we have been collecting and saving stuff, the Exchange Board has been busy, busy, busy preparing for a planned re-opening in time for the third anniversary of the February 2013 fire which destroyed the old site.
“We are still trying to get the Exchange back on as soon as possible,” Exchange Board President Tim Blanchard told a small but interested group in a public meeting on Tuesday, August 25.
Since the fire, the Exchange (aka Orcas Recycling Services, ORS) Board has accomplished the following:
- Cleaned up former Exchange
- Removed/recycled 40 tons of material
- Coordinated with master plan improvements
- Explored off site option for permanent home
- Developed operation policies, procedures and priorities
- Evaluated various building alternatives
Key design elements the Board has been contemplating for the new site are:
- Separation of functions
- Intake/processing vs. browsing/checkout areas
- Flexibility to handle dynamic stock
- Seasonable, occasional, unpredictable
- Safe and pleasant environment
- Effective, efficient sorting/testing/cleaning facilities
- Washing machine, work sink
- Flexible electricity distribution (heated area)
- Natural light, efficient ventilation
The Board has considered three different design concepts for the building, ruling out a Big Roof Concept and a Shipping Container Concept and settling on a Two-Box Concept of a pole-barn/metal-clad structure with/shed roof.
“Everybody supports the Exchange. Nobody expected it to cost this much,” Blanchard quipped. And just how much is that?
Estimated Construction Hard Costs
- Metal $408k 72.74/sq ft
- Fabric/clearspan $387k 69.18/sq. ft
- Pole building $440k $78.57/sq ft
However, with the donations that have already come in, and the fundraisers that were held after the fire, the building is already one-quarter paid for. The Exchange currently has $100,000 + in their coffers that is being held specifically for construction, $26,000 of which managed by Orcas Island Community Foundation.
The next steps in this process are to:
- Finalize design
- Launch fundraising campaign
- Complete engineering of building & foundation
- Apply for permits
- Select suppliers & contractors
- Begin construction as soon as road construction is complete
The proposed timeline is as follows:
- Road complete 10/31
- Foundation forming 11/1
- Begin building construction 12/1
- Complete building 2/1
- Host open house in new building mid-February (anniversary of the 2013 fire that destroyed the “old” Exchange)!
How do we help? Fundraising will be soon be underway and a detailed strategy announced on October 1. There is also a need for volunteers, and because the Exchange complex will reside on county property, and must pay prevailing wages, ORS is looking for specific building materials to be donated for the new Exchange, and they intend to post a list on their Website soon. If you have something you would like to offer, contact them at 376 4089 or info@exchangeorcas.org
“We can make it happen – with your support,” is the motivating tagline.
Yes, all the information written here (RE San Juan County’s required steps for The Exchange to be there again) hopefully gets folks aware that it’ll exist again. With Orcas Is still one of the best places environmentally, this project’ll be a great way helping both the nature & folks living here.