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Parks advisory committee narrows concept for Hurricane Harbor River House, seeks public input and grant paths
Summary
City parks staff presented a pared-down vision for Hurricane Harbor's River House emphasizing an open, flexible waterfront venue and museum space; committee members discussed one- versus two-story options, storage needs, parking and funding. Staff said a FIND planning grant exists but no construction dollars have been secured.
Blankenship, a city staff member, asked the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee on Aug. 25 to reduce a long list of public and staff suggestions to a concise, high-level concept for Hurricane Harbor's River House that the committee can review before public meetings and a council recommendation.
"What we need to, between this meeting and the next meeting, whittle down just a a 50,000 foot look at what we would like hurricane harbor to look like in general," Blankenship said, noting that a concept would be followed by detailed engineering and permitting.
The request came as staff described recurring public feedback favoring large, open waterfront spaces with flexible, one-story interiors and large windows. Committee members repeatedly raised storage, catering and audiovisual needs for a multiuse event venue, and debated whether a second floor should be included.
Miss White, a committee member, said she preferred a one-story building with a covered deck on the river side that would be accessible to people walking along the waterfront even when the interior was rented. "I personally would love to see that enhanced and preserved with something overhead so people could bring their lunch and sit there and be on the river and have access to it whether or not there was something happening in the building," she said.
Other committee members argued the city should plan for flexible partitioning so smaller events would not feel lost in a large space and to allow audiovisual presentations that require dimming light. One committee member said a second-floor viewing area could offer attractive river views; others cautioned two stories could prompt further intensification along the river.
Committee members and staff raised additional design priorities that appeared repeatedly in public comments: a fishing-history museum component, large hurricane-rated windows that open to a waterfront deck, built-in audiovisual equipment, a modest catering kitchen, and substantial storage for chairs, tables and portable staging. Staff recommended a minimum of 4,000 square feet under air to match the original building footprint, though no construction scope is yet set.
Blankenship told the committee the city has a FIND planning grant in place for engineering and design work that must be used within two years, but "we don't have any funds yet for construction because we don't have anything to construct." He said other grant sources may be available later, including state historic preservation and cultural facilities funds, but demolition or construction grants would need to be sought separately.
The committee directed staff to produce a shortened concept reflecting the meeting discussion and return to the committee on the rescheduled September meeting date with renderings, rough cost comparisons for one- versus two-story options, and additional detail on parking and capacity. Blankenship said staff would present the revised concept at the next meeting to prepare a recommendation to city council.
Ending: Blankenship said the next step will be a staff refinement of the concept and additional public outreach; the committee will revisit the refined concept at its next meeting and consider forwarding a recommendation to council.
