Ag-Buildings to be Transformed into Rec Facility
Town officials have set their sights on repurposing an iconic remnant of local agrarian history to expand recreational opportunities for Mead residents. On January 11, the Town Board voted unanimously to purchase the 16,000 square-foot pinto bean processing plant at 401 3rd Street in the heart of Old Town Mead. The plan is to transform the long vacant, deteriorating buildings and the spartan one-acre site into a vibrant recreation facility, community hub and gleaming centerpiece for the downtown area. Residents will have opportunities to provide input on the design of the building and help decide what activities will be offered at the new facility.
The Board’s decision to move forward with the project has Mayor Colleen Whitlow excited and optimistic about the future. “Residents have made it clear that expanding recreational opportunities is a huge priority in our town. After evaluating the property and reviewing our options, we decided this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only provide a much-needed amenity for the members of our community, but to incorporate a piece of local history into the project. This is the first step down a long road, but I’m so happy for the people of Mead who have waited so long for this, and I’m excited to watch the process unfold,” said Whitlow.
The Town is purchasing the property with development impact funds that have accumulated over time and are earmarked specifically for a recreation facility. In 2020, the Town tasked its building officials, architects, and structural engineers with evaluating the property’s suitability for the intended purposes. While it will take significant rehabilitation, the property has “good bones,” and represents a golden opportunity for adaptive reuse.
Adaptive reuse is a common practice utilized as a means towards more sustainable development, whereby efforts are made to avoid total demolition of existing structures, whenever possible. Instead, existing structures are modified and then reused for purposes other than what they were originally designed for. Repurposing has several community benefits. It can save money on building materials and new construction. Because vacant properties and buildings are already served by existing utilities, costly expansion, or installation of new infrastructure is not needed. Adaptive reuse of buildings located in walkable, compact areas, downtown development districts, or historic areas can help to revitalize an area and spur economic development.
The Town of Mead is utilizing the Recreation Center Facilities Fund from impact fees to acquire the old bean plant. Impact Fees are a one-time fee imposed by the town on new development projects to help reduce the economic burden of growth. This restricted fund can only be used towards a recreation facility and was collected from new development for the sole purpose of building a recreation facility in Mead. Over the next several months staff will conduct community outreach to establish a priority list of features.
