Community Center Project Could Cost $63 Million but Would be Broader Than Just Fitness, Swimming

Editor's note: At the Tuesday, July 12 City Council meeting, elected representatives questioned the price of the project.

Consultants hired to design a community aquatic center for the in Sammamish released a project cost estimate of $63 million on Monday. They also expect to cover about 91 percent of regular operation expenses through fees, including yearly and daily passes.

Craig Bouck, president of Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture, pointed out that the project would cover the construction of a 98,000-square-foot community aquatic center made of steel, glass and wood, two traffic circles on 228th Avenue Southeast and a 300-stall underground parking area.

"It's a much broader project than just the community center," he said after a meeting with residents.  

"The challenge and what I think is difficult for people to understand is that they hear about other projects and say, 'Wait a minute. That project is similar in size and it's only a quarter of the cost.' Or something like that."

This project, though, addresses the city-owned, 9.35-acre site, which slopes, might have  and lacks adequate parking. Earlier this year, .

On a busy day, about 1,200 to 1,500 people might use the community aquatic center, consultants said. Given that increased traffic is likely on 228th Avenue Southeast - and that the  and nearby  bring in automobiles and that there will be  - two traffic circles are being considered.

While the community aquatic center building, as proposed, would only cost $28.2 million, the overall facility budget is expected to be $44.4 million. That would include site construction work, design, fees, furniture and taxes. The traffic circle budget has been estimated to cost about $3.8 million.

The overall budget for underground parking for 300 vehicles would cost about $15 million to $16 million. Bouck said the estimate of parking spaces came from past projects, but that another 100 spaces could be added, if that's what city leaders and residents deem necessary. Those extra spaces would cost about $5 million.  

"None of these details are final," he said during the meeting.

The decision, he noted, is with the City Council which meets on Tuesday to discuss the overall project and will have to determine what is the "greatest good for most people."

At the Monday meeting, Councilwoman Nancy Whitten questioned whether the project, as outlined, is affordable. "We have to live within our means," she said at one point, noting the overall cost.

The Kellman site, of which seven acres are adequate for construction, sits to the west of the Sammamish Library and near . Whitten said the city purchased it for $3 million.

Proceeding with the project also rests with Sammamish residents, who city officials have said will have an opportunity to vote in 2012 on what would be one of the largest infrastructure projects in Sammamish history. The City Council would first have to approve the project.

The financing for construction of the project has yet to be determined. But potential financing tools include a bond, which requires a supermajority of votes to pass; a levy lid lift, which calls for a majority for passage; a utility tax or a combination, if possible, of them.

Under a bond, city staff and consultants have said that a $50 million project would cost someone who owns a $520,000 house $19.50 per month, or 0.45 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. There is a presumption of a 20-year term for the bonds.

Bouck on Monday also showed detailed computer drawings of the community center, which would have two basketball courts, an activity pool, lap pool, an indoor play area for kids, a child watch room, kitchen and lounge.

The building would be tiered, such that someone who just entered from the main doors would be able to look down at activity areas. The structure with its "step down" design would have a low profile and still provide views of the west from the Sammamish Commons area.

So, someone sitting inside the Sammamish Library would notice that the community aquatic center was only a bit higher than the Kellman House, Bouck said.

Windows, in some areas, would jut out in a "sawtooth" shape, which would provide for panoramic views. The lounge area could be open to anyone, similar to a park or library, Bouck added.

Street access would be available from the road that leads to the library and would loop behind City Hall and then back to 228th Avenue Southeast. From this loop, there would be entrances to underground parking.

The activity pool, which could have a play area for kids, and lap pool would be on the facility's west side. That location makes it ideal if one of the pools is built later to save money, consultants said.

Bouck explained that the design idea is to create a "campus" feeling to "blend" the area together, given City Hall, which opened in 2006, and the Sammamish Library, which opened last year.

The operations of the community center, if built, is the other part of the financial equation. Ken Ballard of Ballard King & Associates told residents that the community center would serve an overall market of about 58,000 people - which includes unincorporated King County on the Plateau.

That number does not include residents from Redmond or Issaquah but it is likely that the community center - if built - would see guests from those cities. .

Ballard's analysis shows yearly operation expenses, as projected three years from now, to be at $2,950,000 with revenue at $2,683,000. That leaves a difference of $267,000 - or a 91 percent "recovery" rate.

As Bouck pointed out after the meeting, some cities offer a subsidy, sometimes money from the General Fund, to cover that gap. He said that city parks are supported through the General Fund - and that this community aquatic center could pull in money for Sammamish.

Bouck added that if the lap pool was built later - or skipped entirely - the overall construction project cost could drop by about $10 million and yearly operations would be about $100,000 less.

Removing other amenities, such as a locker room or a fitness or exercise area, might not be worth enough money to dramatically lower the construction and operation costs, he said.

What also remains unknown is whether the city of Sammamish will hire employees to work at the community center. Personnel costs can be about 66 percent of operations, Ballard said.

Partnering with another group to run the operation remains an option. There had been talk of working with the YMCA to help run the facility.

Residents - who said at previous community center meetings that they would like indoor fitness options during the long, dark winter months - and those who live outside the city would have to pay to use the center.

An annual family pass, for example, could cost between $900 to $1,200. A three-month family pass might range from $300 to $450. A day pass might cost a person $5 to $9. These fees are subject to City Council approval and could change.

The meeting, which was the fifth of its kind this year, included questions from residents - some of whom said they like the design.

"The plan is beautiful. Who wouldn't like this facility?" resident Erica Tiliacos said.

But Tilacos, who once served on the Sammamish Planning Commission, questioned whether 300 parking spaces would be enough.

Jessi Richardson, city parks and recreation director, was practical and cautious in describing the meeting and process to date. "This is just a study," she said. "When we're finished, it doesn't mean we're going to do it." 

Many scenarios are possible. Among them: A community aquatic center plan, based on the consultants' suggestions, could be offered in legislative form to the City Council.

Those elected officials have the right to offer amendments to the legislation to add or remove items - in this case, amenities or budget categories to the community aquatic center.

Also, with an , the City Council will have new members in January.

The consultants are scheduled to return to Sammamish in September to give a more refined cost proposal and likely a final report.

Editor's note: To learn more, the city of Sammamish has posted documents on its website. A slide presentation, which includes computer drawings of the community aquatic center and additional details, has been embedded in media area of this story.