Port of Chehalis, School District to Host Open House on Building Feasibility Study

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As the Port of Chehalis and Chehalis School District’s feasibility study of the R.E. Bennett and Cascade Elementary School buildings continues, the groups are inviting the public to an open house to meet with the architectural firm conducting the study.

The open house is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at the Chehalis School District Offices.

“We encourage folks to come and talk to the experts, get some information about things like making things handicapped accessible or bringing them up to building code or some of the challenges or opportunities with the properties,” said Randy Mueller, CEO of the Port of Chehalis.

KMB Architects is conducting the study and recently released a memo about some of its findings about possible uses for the old school buildings, located at 233 S. Market Blvd.

Specifically, the R.E. Bennett building received the brunt of the attention, with the memo referencing a belief long held by Chehalis school officials that the Cascade building ought to be demolished rather than pay for contractors to grapple with the building’s structural deficiencies.

“The Bennett school building has potential for renovation, and we are developing several options that would allow the existing building to remain with extensive renovation and change its use,” reads the memo.

KMB Architects say classroom space in the R.E. Bennett building could be used as a daycare, retail space, offices or studio apartments. The gym could be renovated into some sort of community center with a kitchen.



“If the Bennett building is kept and renovated, the other portion of the site would become either townhomes or single-family residential lots,” it goes on to say.

On the other hand, were the building demolished, the lot would hold potential to hold a retail/commercial building on the part facing Market Boulevard, while the rest would hold about apartment units. Alternatively, the entire lot could be used for single-family residence lots.

Estimated dollar amounts for each of those options were not listed on the memo.

The Chronicle previously reported that during a meeting with Port of Chehalis commissioners, Mueller said the Bennett structure is essentially viewed as three separate structures, “or really the building and two additions. So it’s really the R.E. Bennett school itself, the auditorium and then the gym. For engineering purposes, they are all separate but adjacent structures as far as the walls and the structure and all that.”

Upon the study’s completion, the Port of Chehalis has the right of first offer to buy the buildings.