City staff and the Greater Douglas Chamber of Commerce have differing  views on the uses of the old Phelps Dodge Mercantile Building, located on G Avenue in downtown Douglas.

The discussion came about following a presentation by City Engineer Carlos de la Torre and Librarian Victoria Yarbrough on proposed uses of the building at the September 9 City Council meeting.

 The building was originally purchased by the city as lease space for county offices, in addition to possible classroom space for Cochise College and/or the University of Arizona South.

When the economy made a downturn, the county possibility fell by the wayside.

In January 2008, the city received $3 million in GADA funds for the Government Center and to make improvements to City Hall. The city is required by bond covenant to spend these funds within three years.

The city had also worked with city and business leaders and the University of Arizona to come up with a plan for the center, but the new uses of the building are different than those discussed with the University of Arizona.

The new plan presented b y the city staff calls for the building to be turned into a community and youth center featuring conference and meeting rooms, small offices, display space for a museum, a reading library, chamber space and a multipurpose room, along with space for computers, video games and stage.

The facility also calls for 4,386 square foot (roughly one-third of the first floor) for tenant space.

There had been discussion of using the second floor for additional meeting space and turning it into a ballroom-type facility.

Total project cost is $3,063,196, but De la Torre believes the price could be as low as 42.25 million because recent bids have been coming in 30 to 40 percent lower than anticipated.

The council voiced a need for a youth center, particularly Mitch Lindemann who said they had been discussing the need for such a facility every since he started on Douglas Planning and Zoning in 1994.

“Teens prefer to be downtown. We need to have a place for our young people,” he said.

Councilman Ivan Huish’s concern came after the project was completed.

He was worried about the day-to-day cost of maintaining the facility once it began being used.

De la Torre said the city had considered collapsing some operating funds for the city into new facility to help with maintenance and operation.

Carlos Valenzuela, president of the Greater Douglas Chamber of Commerce was concerned about what the public would see upon entering downtown.

“I find the design flawed. The design really doesn’t take in the needs of the Douglas business community,” Valenzuela said.

“On  the main floor, facing the street, there should be a retail center.

“In Bisbee in the Old Phelps Dodge Building, they have a convention Center on the second floor, but the first floor is filled with retail and restaurants. We need retail space on that bottom floor.”

He asked who the city spoke to in determining the needs for the changes to the old Phelps Dodge Building.

“I know that the Chamber was not asked for comment.”

“I remember Douglas as a very busy, vital  retail center,” said Chamber Board member Kathleen Gomez.

“If you have a teen center in the middle of downtown, there will bikes and skateboards. It will create only a more difficult situation for businesses and their customer s.

“We need more feedback from merchants. You need to think twice before putting teen center in the heart of Douglas. It is important to develop the downtown area commercially,” Gomez said.

“There is a prime location where you can offer retail space that can help revitalize downtown. We have to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The council voted to proceed with the mechanical drawings and architect.

There has been no final approval of the design, and the designs  presented by the city staff were preliminary.