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Council hears plan and funding approach for Lions Park community center; architecture contract recommended
Summary
Staff recommended contracting with Design West for architecture and engineering work on a combined community center that would include library space, a commercial kitchen and childcare; funding sources discussed include county grants, two state earmarks and a YMCA subgrant, with construction targeted for 2026–2027 if funding is secured.
City staff presented background and a funding plan for a proposed Lions Park community center and asked council to approve an architecture and engineering contract to refine floor plans and construction costs.
Project scope and partners: staff described the center as combining library space, a commercial kitchen, childcare and community meeting rooms. Early conceptual work was completed; staff recommended Design West as the top-ranked firm to develop full architectural and engineering plans. The presentation said partners could include the library district, the YMCA (for childcare), and a community organization for the commercial kitchen.
Financing and timeline: staff outlined multiple funding sources already identified or pursued: a county grant of $200,000 for architecture, an existing $2.5 million legislative earmark that can be used for architecture and construction, a YMCA-held earmark that the YMCA may subgrant to the city, and an additional federal earmark for construction. Staff said architecture and construction together are estimated at about $10.1 million, with roughly $300,000 for immediate architectural plans. The plan described fundraising and additional state library capital programs as likely sources to fund remaining construction costs; staff estimated construction and demolition work possibly in 2026 and 2027 if grants and fundraising progress as planned. “In an ideal world, we could get the architectural done all this year and then maybe early 2026, And then work, construction 2026 and 2027,” a staff member said.
Site, permitting and remediation notes Staff said the park parcel has a 9,000‑square‑foot footprint that was clarified with the National Park Service so the city can proceed without an extended federal approval process. Because the existing building dates to the 1960s, the city enrolled the site in the state Brownfields program to identify and pay for any asbestos or lead mitigation before demolition.
Council questions Council asked whether the new building footprint would affect park parking or the RV sewage area (staff said it would not) and whether the project would increase park disturbance (staff said much of the work will reuse fixed stubs and that the building footprint would be essentially confined to the specified area). Council asked for a timeline and total cost; staff reiterated the $10.1 million all-in estimate and said the city would aim to fund roughly $2 million through local fundraising and state programs after securing the larger grants.
What’s next Staff requested authorization to finalize a contract with Design West for architectural services and said they will return with a contract for council approval at a subsequent meeting; the city will continue grant applications and fundraising efforts and proceed with remediation planning as necessary.
Ending Council members praised the plan’s clarity and staff’s outreach; several said the project is a visible capital investment and encouraged continued public updates as grants and fundraising progress.
