Project Updates
Final Design Completed!
We’re excited to announce that the final design for the Community Recreation Center is complete! Informed by extensive community input and the guidance of experienced consultants, the result is a facility that is beautiful, functional, and sustainably designed.
Our current focus is on finalizing a governance structure that will support both the construction phase and long-term operations. Encouragingly, the projected increase in property taxes has decreased from $0.43 to $0.39 per $1,000 of Assessed Value, improving on the original estimates from the Feasibility Study. We’re also making strong progress toward a 0.2% local sales tax solution to help close the facility’s expected early operating shortfall. This option is especially favorable, as an estimated 40% of sales tax revenue is generated by visitors to our area.
With detailed construction documents already prepared, we’ll be ready to invite bids as soon as the governance and funding frameworks are finalized.
Stay tuned—this vision for our community is closer than ever to becoming a reality!
Final Schematic Design Report
We’ve reached a major milestone!
In November and December of 2023, many community members participated in a community meeting and/or a survey to help the Project Committee finalize some complex decisions regarding the design of the Community Recreation Center. Read about what was decided, and why, via the link below.
Community Meeting Summary & Poll Results
An in-person meeting was held on October 25, 2023. The focus on the meeting was to review the Schematic Design and obtain feedback from the community. A narrative summary of the feedback from this meeting and the two virtual meetings described below can be found via the summary link below.
Two virtual meetings were held on October 26 and November 1, 2023. Participants were polled at various points in the meeting. Below you’ll find the full list of questions and the number of respondents for each of the response options.
October 2023 Schematic Design Presentation
Below you’ll find a link to check out the latest schematic design presentation that was presented to community members at our recent Community Meetings.
After collecting feedback from meeting attendees, we’ve created the survey below to learn more about the design details that are important to our community.
Design is Underway!
A six-lane pool - this is what the community really wants. Four lanes do not accommodate competitive swimming, and a pool cannot be expanded in the future
Two basketball/pickeball/volleyball/other use gyms - considering Cle Elum-Roslyn School District, Easton School District, local AAU teams, and other groups; boys’ teams and girls’ teams, elementary, middle school, and high school, and adults together
An indoor, elevated, enclosed walking and jogging track - around the gyms and pool, this was the third most-popular amenity
An outdoor splash pad - this is a desirable feature for families with toddlers and young children and is a relatively low cost compared to the other amenities
One multi-purpose meeting/party room
The design of the proposed Upper Kittitas County Community Recreation Center has begun! The Feasibility Study completed in Spring 2022 identified the components that were MOST important to the community.
Subsequent discussions with our consultants indicated that most successful community recreation centers also include a fitness component. We are in discussions with Swiftwater Fitness about how we can work together to combine facilities to create a community recreation center with a broader appeal.
Site Location
While the UKC CRCA is still working with local teams and professionals to secure the exact location, we’re planning for the community center to be placed somewhere near the Cle Elum-Roslyn schools.
In late 2020, a 12.2 acre parcel of land and a commitment for $4 million in project donations were secured from Suncadia.
What’s Next?
We’ll move into the Design Development Phase - which means we will move into the final stages of design:
The floor plans will be refined, equipment layout will be complete
Mechanical and electrical system coordination
Wall colors and materials will be decided
Next we shift into the Construction Document Phase - which will be very detailed information informing the contractor how to construct the building.
These last two phases ensure we will be creating a long-lasting building that can be maintained and operated as intended. The timing of these two phases is still being determined.