WCCA TV 13 is located in a condominium building at 415 Main Street in Worcester. It occupies 10,000 square feet of space or roughly sixty percent of the entire building. WCCA uses two floors and a basement for its studios, training and general office space. The condominium that houses WCCA TV 13 was paid for through a five year loan and WCCA owns this property outright. However, the maintenance fees (including heat and cooling) are substantial at almost $3,500 per month or forty-two thousand per year.
The maintenance fees include care and repair of the exterior of the building but not the interior space. The “care and repair” is simply maintenance and would not include upgrades or renovations to the exterior. Additionally, because maintenance or renovation of the interior is the responsibility of WCCA TV, there have been instances when renovation or repair was postponed due to budget constraints. For instance, the basement was renovated by volunteers to house the KidsNet/Youth Channel training and could use further repair and upgrading. The electrical supply in the building frequently surges and equipment and computers have ceased to operate, probably because of “brown out” conditions. Staff believes there are electrical upgrades that need to be made. The heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit (HVAC) is noisy and causes problems with adequate sound proofing during production. Staff estimates there are approximately $40,000 in immediate repairs to the interior and the renovation the façade needs to keep the property in good condition.
There are three studios, Studio A which is 1,575 square feet, Studio B which is 750 square feet and the KidsNet/Youth Channel studio which is in the basement. Studio A and B have dedicated, separate control rooms. The KidsNet/Youth Channel studio also serves as the training classroom for the youth program. Staff reports that they could use an additional twenty-five hundred square feet, perhaps in a satellite location, to comfortably accommodate staff and access users.
Classes and training are conducted in the studios depending on the schedule and use of the studios by access users. While this is not unusual, it would be optimal for there to be a separate classroom facility so that production does not have to shut down to accommodate training. This is more of an issue during the evening hours when most production is done and when training is typically given to accommodate working adults’ schedules. Given the robust amount of programming produced by volunteers, separate training space would eliminate any conflicts in the schedule and free up the studios for more production.
WCCA’s operating hours are as follows.
General Public Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Member Hours Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WCCA does not open to the “General Public” on Saturdays unless it has a volunteer receptionist available. This is problematic since a good deal of the population works during the weekday. This schedule discourages use of WCCA facilities by that population. Since WCCA maintains a computer lab and internet access in the lobby, this schedule discourages general public use of that resource.
We noted that there was not an adequate amount of separated storage space in the building for the typical sets and equipment access centers employ.
While the building’s location offers excellent public transportation options for access users and the general public, there is no free off-street parking. Parking meters are free after six p.m. but parking garages in the area charge an average of five dollars per visit and staff parking costs WCCA approximately $6,000 per year. The building is accessible for persons with disabilities, however the parking situation can make it difficult for persons with disabilities to access the building if they have to park a block or two away. Additionally, WCCA has many senior producers and parking can be an issue for this population.
It is commendable that WCCA purchased their building and have paid off the loan in only five years, this provides WCCA with a great deal of stability. Very few access centers around the country own their buildings (they either lease or have mortgages). There are issues with the facility that challenge WCCA, we recommend the following:
* Provide WCCA TV 13 with additional funding that will adequately address ongoing maintenance and repairs. Additional capital funds should be acquired to address the electrical problems, the HVAC problems, renovation of the KidsNet/Youth Channel space and renovation of the façade of the building. A capital grant must be sufficient enough to address anticipated building repairs over a ten year period.
* Given there is a need for an additional twenty-five hundred square feet to adequately meet staff and producer need, identify additional space for a “satellite facility.” Frequently, municipalities have surplus buildings which they give to access centers. Work with the City to arrange for surplus property to be acquired as a satellite access center. Access centers typically seek to establish a satellite facility in an area of the city that is not being served by the central facility. Again, a capital grant is usually needed for preparing the satellite facility for production. A satellite facility could also take the pressure off the competition for training and production space at WCCA, since producers who live in the vicinity could use the satellite facility for production. Also with enough pre-planning the satellite facility could house storage space and a shop for building sets.
* Provide adequate funding so WCCA can be open to the “General Public” on Saturday to accommodate working adults’ schedules.
* Secure handicap parking spaces around the facility, with perhaps two on-street spaces being reserved strictly for handicap parking permits. This would assist the senior producers at WCCA (some of whom we met at the Focus Group Session) who have to use walkers. Make sure that the sidewalks cuts are adequate to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.