Feelings run high on fate of Oakes Mansion in NPB (North County News) 1-27-79ORT s
pUBLIC UNARY
Recreation Director Stu Tabor, who thinks the building can be made useful for about $60,000, shows the N.C.N. the
gymnastics room. The ceiling, which is not high enough to permit full use of the bars, is cracking from water leaks.
Feelings run h1gh on fate
of Oakes Mansion in N. Palm Beach'
"Everyone I've talked
14 inch thick cypress
storage.
"That
to feels strongly about
beams. They just need
would leave us
the Oakes Mansion,"
reinforcing."
several thousand square
says North Palm Beach
structure, now housing
feet of usable space at a
Village Manager Phil
Tabor thinks most of
fraction of what it would
Nicoletti. "Either they
the windows can be
cost to build a new
think it should be turned
fixed, only a few would
facility," says Tabor.
into a grassy knoll or be
need to be completely
says.
restored to its original
replaced. His idea is to
So reasonable men
state. Either way, feel-
fix the roof, close off the
may differ on what
ing runs high."
upper floors and use the
should be done to the
That feeling' is p�Aob-
basement only for
Oakes building, one of
b
ably going to run higher :
Recreation director
as the village offic*
Stu Tabor,. whose office
make some decisions on `
is still in the Oakes
what should be do-ne'to
Mansion, doesn't think
the fifty year old
so.
structure, now housing
"I've been here ten
dance and gym classes'
years, and if it wasn't,
for the recreation de-
!,.safe, I wouldn't be in
partment. Ceramic and �
'� here and I certainly
art classes have already
wouldn't let the classes
been moved to buildings
be held in here," he
in Anchorage Park.
says.
Nicoletti received the -,,j
He doesn't think the
final cost estimates on
place -is "as bad as some
the necessary restora-
would have you think,"
tion work Thursday.
and he feels it can be
"made usable for anoth-
This money - will be-
er 20 years for about
used to re -roof the
$601000.
building, fix its win-
He says the basic
dows, paint it inside and
structure is sound,_ "The
out, clean and treat the
first floor is held up by
top two floors, refinish
the floors on the first
level, remove added
partitions, shore up the
floor from the basement,
clean it out and redo the
plumbing and wiring.
Now, is all that
necessary?
the first in North Palm
Peach. The Village
Council will have to
decide how much is
actually needed and
where that money
should come from...
Finally, for that deci-
sion, they may turn to
the electorate in the
form of a bond
referendum.