RAINER BEACH – Seattle Parks and Recreation is hosting a public meeting to explore partnership opportunities for operating the new Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool.
The meeting is scheduled for Tues., March 6, at 7 p.m. at the South Shore K-8 School Rotunda (4800 S. Henderson St.).
Meanwhile, demolition of the old building is 75% complete and should be finished by the end of February. Work will then start on sub-grade preparation, plumbing and new footings.
The new 46,479 sq.ft. facility – expected to open in the fall of 2013 – will house the new community center and indoor pool, including a spray park. In addition, the community center will include a gym, fitness room, childcare, kitchen, multipurpose room, teen area, game room, computer room, meeting room, arts/crafts room and party room for pool rentals.
Top photo/Rainier Valley Post. Rendering courtesy of Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
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According to the plan, in addition to the pool, the meeting space will accommodate up to 144 people! The kitchen is “arranged for teaching and catering events in the building” and “designed to accommodate those community members who follow Halal diet restrictions.” First of all, I never understood why we need a Taj Mahal of community centers in Rainier Beach! I hope the event rental rates rake in a lot of extra money to pay for the extra cost of the Taj Mahal elements. Also, that catering kitchen really sticks in my craw. It should be a vegetarian-only kitchen. That would solve any concerns about Halal, Kosher and Hindu diets, but still doesn’t go far enough. We also need to prohibit food products with tree nuts, gluten, and any non-organic foods. Rainier Beach’s healthy organic vegetarian catering kitchen could be a new model for Seattle!
“Explore partnership opportunities for operating the new Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool” is city-speak for turning over its operations to the YMCA or some other so-called “non-profit” organization.
I agree with Greener Grad about the kitchen—especially prohibiting nuts.
I can go along with the no nuts part for allergic reasons, but vegetarian only?
If you don’t want meat, don’t order it.
I love vegetables, but I did not climb to the top of the food chain to eat only vegetables.
But then again, I probably wouldn’t be going to a community center for their fine cusine.
Ditto, I did not climb the food chain to merely dine on tofu and legumes. Please pass the ketchup and mustard.
Yeah, I can see it.
Seaweed Saturday
Soybean Sunday
Mushroom Monday
Tofu Tuesday
Wheat grass Wednesday, and so on.
You forgot Soylent Green Fridays!
Greener Grad and Solvay,
If we prohibit “nuts” from the facility, it will stand empty. Everyone in Rainier Beach, including yours truely, will be banned from using the new facility!
On a more serious note, the capital money came from a voter approved levy and is the proceeds of bond sales. The City can’t use it, by State Law, to pay for ongoing operating costs. They should be prudent about what they spend to build and equip it, but over the 50 to 75 year life of the building, it will be a drop in the bucket compared to operating costs (which are mostly staff to staff and maintain it).
If that kitchen were to be “kosher only”, can you imagine the riots that would happen? What the heck is happening to our community? What ever happened to honoring diversity?
Very funny, George! I understand about Operations and Maintenance costs. The RB Taj Mahal Pool is like the Extreme Home Makeover show (where low income families get big houses that are too expensive to heat, air condition and maintain). I wonder whether the fees for room and kitchen rentals even come close to covering the added costs. Yocheved, I think that you are right. A “kosher only” kitchen certainly would not have been considered although it is just as much a religious requirement as halal. That’s why a vegetarian nut-free kitchen makes the most sense.
I understand the facility won’t open til (at least) the fall of 2013, but can’t help but get stuck on the irony of the high road of “shared prosperity” and the reality of no $ for the community center to operate. So the city went ahead with the rebuild knowing full well they wouldn’t have the funds to operate as far as I can tell.
“Mayor Mike McGinn today presented his Proposed 2012 budget, which preserves direct services, transforms how the city does business and invests in infrastructure and the future. The mayor’s proposed budget is grounded on the principles of shared prosperity, race and social justice, effective and open government, and public safety and health. The total proposed budget is $4.2 billion, including the city’s $910 million General Fund.
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