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Future of Esky DDA at Center Court uncertain

ESCANABA — The future of the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority’s operations was the focus Thursday, when authority members discussed both the aging Center Court building and the ongoing search for a new DDA director.

“It’s been years, and it seems like this can’s been kicked down the road a long way,” said DDA Chairman Dan Bender of the Center Court building, which serves as the DDA’s base of operations. “It’s hard to come up with a way to fix something when we can’t find anybody to solve the problem, and even just as hard to hire a new director when we have no place that we know where we’re going to be. Very difficult for a board.”

According to DDA Assistant Judy Schroeder, who has taken over the administrative duties of the authority since the resignation of former Executive Director Ed Legault on Feb. 17, flooding in the Center Court building has been an issue for at least four years. Water comes in through the walls of the building, doing significant damage to the floor and walls.

“The way the tile is heaving where I sit, I really would like that fixed, because I’m rolling around on a piece of plywood. It’s not much fun,” said Schroeder, who raised concerns there may be mold growing behind the building’s walls.

The exact cause of the flooding is unknown, but authority members suggested the flooding was either the result of a crack between buildings or an issue with the storm sewer backing up into the building. Other theories included issues with the roof drains, however, those appear to be clear and re-roofing the building made no impact on the water issues when it was done in 2018.

At the moment, cold temperatures have stopped water from noticeably entering the building. According to Schroeder, Public Works Superintendent/Engineer Bob Becotte will be using cameras to evaluate the situation when temperatures warm enough for thawing to begin.

However, the future of the DDA building itself is still in flux, as the city has yet to renew a contract with the DDA for the facility’s rental. The prior agreement expired earlier this year, but both the city and the DDA have been acting as if it is still in place until a new agreement can be reached.

Reaching an agreement may be tricky. Without firm numbers for the water damage and the repairs needed to stop the flooding, there has been little movement on reaching an agreement. In addition, the authority and the city council have clashed over whether the $1 annual rent is enough for the building and whether it is the DDA or the city that is ultimately responsible for the mounting repair costs.

“I’d like to say again that even though we’ve given up some space upstairs to another entity, we still have room to accommodate the DDA offices if need be,” said City Manager Patrick Jordan, suggesting the possibility of the DDA relocating the city hall.

The authority members rejected the proposal — at least for the moment. Schroeder said she felt it would make her less accessible to the public and concerns were raised about mixing the DDA with the city’s operations.

“I don’t feel the DDA should ever be in this building,” said Bender, adding the DDA was a separate entity and there were “too many ways for bad rumors to start” if the DDA relocated to city hall.

Without the input of a new executive director or the additional information from camera scoping the building, the authority shifted gears to the director search itself. So far, 15 applications have been received by the authority, which are being evaluated by a subcommittee before a recommendation to the authority as a whole can be made. Applications will continue to be accepted for the next two weeks or so.

The authority also approved a $1 per hour raise for Schroeder to serve as a stipend while she is doing the additional duties of an executive director. The board also approved the hire of a part-time custodian, which will assist at the Escanaba Marketplace, as well as the Center Court building.

In other business, the authority:

– accepted the resignation of DDA Board Vice Chair Eric Swanson and appointed Board Member Mark Ammel as the new vice chair

– approved a $1,200 sponsorship to help pay for portable restrooms during a Radio Results Network event on July 24

– heard a project update on the Market Place kitchen facility upgrade project

– was informed there will be delays in implementing the new DDA facade grant program due to staffing changes at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

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