Q: Why begin the planning for an indoor recreation facility now?
A: Over the past 10 years? the City has been engaged in identify the community recreation needs and how those can best be served. Over the years, residents have expressed their desire for indoor recreation facilities in Kirkland that would provide year round aquatic, fitness equipment, and gymnasium court space, and much more. Now that we have addressed many, but not all, of our park needs, it is time to address the need for indoor recreation space.
Q: Why can’t the City use facilities that are currently available, like schools?
A: The City currently uses schools for many of their sports programs and classes, however the school’s needs come first. Currently, the City has scheduled available facilities to the maximum. To fulfill the excess demand for recreation programs and to serve the community as a whole a new facility must be built.
Q: Where will the facility be located?
A: There are several sites that the planning team is investigating. Due to the shortage of land available for purchase it is likely that the City will try to find a partner who currently owns land and could benefit from the addition of recreation facilities.
Q: Is the City considering other types of partnerships with other organizations in the area?
A: The City has begun to explore possible partnerships including Costco, Evergreen Healthcare, Lake Washington School District, and the Seattle Seahawks. Potential partners have been included in the stakeholder meetings that have been held.
Q: What would be included in the indoor recreation facility?
A: There are many spaces that could be included in the facility. The public process currently underway is intended to gather the community’s input about what is important to include. Spaces identified by residents through previously conducted surveys and recently conducted stakeholder meetings include:
Community Hall and Kitchen
Arts and Crafts Studio
Pre-School Classrooms
Child Watch Activity Room
Birthday Party Rooms
Fitness / Cardio Area / Core Training
Wood Floor Studio
Gymnasium – Wood Floor
Multi-Purpose Activity Gymnasium – Synthetic Floor
Indoor Playground
Lap Pool
Activity Room
Recreation Pool with waterslide and play features
Therapeutic Pool
Indoor Walking / Jogging Track
Locker Rooms and Family Changing Rooms
Juice Bar / Deli
The types of spaces included in the facility will be based on community and staff input, site, and cost considerations.
Q: How much will an indoor recreation facility cost to build?
A: The cost of an indoor recreation facility will depend on its size, type of uses, and site. The City is undertaking this planning process to identify the cost to develop new facilities.
Q: How will the City pay for a new indoor recreation facility?
A: Financing strategies will be developed for citizen and Council consideration. It is expected that there will be a combination of funding sources that may include public and private partnerships, fundraising, and public financing. The operation of the indoor recreation facility is envisioned to be largely self-supporting, with a significant portion of ongoing operating costs to be borne by users.
Q: How will citizens be involved in planning for a new indoor recreation facility?
A: Planning will be conducted through an open public process, with every citizen invited to participate. This process is already underway with community stakeholder meeting and with interested groups, news stories, and a website: www.ci.kirkland.wa.us.
Scheduled Open Houses
Tuesday, September 12
7:00 - 9:00 pm
City Hall, Council Chambers
123 Fifth Avenue
Wednesday, October 18
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Peter Kirk Community Center
352 Kirkland Avenue
Q: How can I get information about indoor recreation facility planning as it becomes available?
A: If you’re interested in receiving updates about the indoor recreation facility project, you can add your name to an email list or visit the indoor recreation facility planning website at www.ci.kirkland.wa.us |