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| Community ribbon heart to memorialize the old Senior Center before demolition |
During the May 4th Council Committee meeting, Parks Director Carrie Hite gave an update on the Senior and Community Center. The new building will open 2023. It will be at minimum LEED Gold Certified and built to last 50-100 years. Estimated cost is $41 million. Councilmember Jeralee Anderson asked "if you had unlimited funds where would you spend them?" Ms. Hite responded: "a buildout of the second floor."
Staff showed maps of the layout of the spaces. A list of the spaces on the website, with square footage and descriptions, would be helpful in understanding the building.
-- Bob Yoder, 5/9/2021 (Internet photo)
hank you for your question about the Redmond Senior & Community Center.
ReplyDeleteThe cost of the Redmond Senior & Community Center is consistent with the cost that was presented to City Council in 2020 at the end of the public involvement process following the closure of the Redmond Senior Center. At that time, the recommendation was to build a larger Senior & Community Center that would be a larger footprint with additional recreation space. This cost has remained consistent through 2021 public involvement and is intended to remain at the $41 million mark.
City Council passed a policy in the budget process in 2020 that allows 50% of a capital project to be paid for in bonds. This means that $20.5 million of the project must be cash and other funding. The funding for the Redmond Senior & Community Center will include $17 million of Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds, $1.25 million from the State Capital budget, and additional funding that is being explored. We currently have made two requests for federal funding for this project as well. The bonding that is being requested of City Council is in the form of Councilmanic bonds. This bond allows City Council to fund the project out of future capital revenues. This bond does not need voter approval and will not increase taxes.
Thank you for reaching out about this important project. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist with.
Thank you,
Heather Burtsche
Customer Experience Coordinator
City of Redmond
I’m not sure this is what happened in 2020, I remember people being unhappy because the expected cap on Senior Center in total was $30 million. The statement that there will be no increase in taxes seems disingenuous as bonds will be issue and have to be paid for. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the cost of the bonds will not come out of your normal property tax bill, but a new charge. You will still pay for it.
ReplyDeleteThis project, according the reliable industry sources, is way over priced. I guess the answer is with the City Council at this point.
Best wishes-
Hank Myers
425-830-4265