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We consider the District a partner with Marion County in the Courthouse Square project. While we are prepared to move ahead on the Senator block with a transit facility alone if need be, we feel that a joint development is in our and the public's best interest, and fully support a continued effort to resolve the issues that have delaye~ its progress and clear the path for the completion of the project. • If Marion County should for any reason decide not to proceed with its portion of the partnership, should the District proceed to build its facilities on the Courthouse Square site? This is a scenario we have only reluctantly considered; not only for the reasons stated in the previous question, but because we continue to feel strongly that Courthouse Square is the prefened solution to both the District's off-street operational and administrative facility needs, and the County's current and future growth and consolidation needs, as well. Having said that, however, begs the issue. The answers to all the previously posed questions substantiate a positive response. However, another, possibly more compelling reason has come to our attention in the past couple of months - financing. Whereas FTA has financed the acquisition of our 42% undivided interest in the Senator Block and our portion of the demolition, clearing, abatement, and relocation costs for our share of the block, a move from this site will wreak havoc with the District's project budget. If transit's project does not proceed on this site, our portion of all the above costs will no longer be eligible for gran~ financing. The District would be forced to pay for those costs from its general fund, amounting to an estimated $600,000 of taxpayer fiznds. In addition, the County would be required, by the terms of our acquisition agreement, to reimburse the District for the $2.255 million we paid for our share of the property and the 80°Io federal share would be returned directly to the U.S. Treasury and thereby lost to both F'TA and to Salem Transit. The District would then have approximately $3 million less funds with which to acquire and prepare another site for the off-street transit center. The combined factors of the Senator block being the best site for development of the transit center, combined with the compelling financial benefits which are associated with the site, lead the District to conclude once again that we should proceed examining all of our development options at the Senator block location. • Dces the Board approve of the space allocations for the transit facilities in Courthouse Square? In a memorandum dated December 31, 1997, staff provided the Board with the facilities and square footages which have evolved over the 18 months of planning that Courthouse Square has undergone. They are reprinted in this report. These meet, in all aspects except daycare, the criteria established in the original concept as approved 4