2013-08-30-Ad hoc Townwide Facilities Master Planning Committee (Final Report of Committee)

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CARY MEMORIAL BUILDING Description The Isaac Harris Cary Memorial Building is flanked by the Town Office Building and the Police Station and is a prominent building that centers this complex of municipal buildings. Beyond its historic importance and physical presence, the multiple rooms in the interior of the building provide civic space for many Town events, including the public business of Town Meeting, general meetings and Town Elections. There is also performance space for lectures and the arts. CARY MEMORIAL BUILDING 1605 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. The property has the following characteristics: LOCATION: 1605 Massachusetts Avenue YEAR OPENED: 1928 LOT SIZE: Not separately sized* BUILDING SIZE: 31,000 SF OWNER: Town of Lexington ZONING: RS (One - Family Dwelling Residential District) CURRENT USE: Town Meetings, Town Elections, Lexington Symphony performances, community events, meetings, etc. BUILDING ASSESSED VALUE (FY13): Not separately assessed* LAND ASSESSED VALUE (FY13): Not separately assessed* TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE (FY13): Not separately assessed* *Note: This includes the Police Station and Town Office Building, which are located on the same property, lot size 3.43 acres, land assessed value $639,000, building assessed value $7.43 million, total assessed value $8.06 million. Previous Analyses The Cary Memorial Building has different spaces that are being used as venues for events. However, the limitation on access to upper floors and the construction of certain stairs do not meet current code requirements for accessibility, thereby limiting use for public purposes. In addition, the original doorways do not provide the width required by the Building Code, the bathrooms require upgrades, and exterior access into the building do not meet current standards for accessibility (Mills Whittaker Architects, 2011). The Mills Whittaker study proposed the following improvements: 12 LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS