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Lakewood council and parks board press for clarity on H Barn design and funding gap
Summary
Councilors and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board debated H Barn’s design, timeline and funding. City has $4M committed and partners aim to raise ~$3.5M, but the project estimate ranges near $10–14 million, leaving a multi-million-dollar gap; councilors disagreed over whether the facility should include dedicated senior-services space.
The long-running H Barn community project surfaced as one of the most contested items in the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board update. PRAB described a phased design with an open-air wing and an enclosed west side intended for events; the board urged faster, pragmatic steps so construction can begin using available funds.
"We're we're not at the 10,000,000 mark — the design came back at, I think, a little bit higher than really what I was hoping for," a PRAB representative said, urging a project that could be started with the money that currently exists and expanded later. Mayor Bokey and other councilors confirmed the city's current commitment of $4 million in LTAC funds and said partners were raising about $3.5 million, leaving a substantial shortfall against plans that have ranged from about $10 million to $14 million.
Council members debated whether the H Barn should provide a dedicated home for senior services. Council member Mike Branstetter and others said senior programming has been effective in satellite locations and that the H Barn—depending on design and funding—may not be suited to house a fully dedicated senior center. "I don't think any design is going to have a dedicated space into it that is going to be set aside for senior activities," Branstetter said. Other councilors and PRAB members urged that the building retain multiuse flexibility, and some called for reinstating an ad hoc committee to explore design changes and cost-reduction strategies.
Staff told the council an amendment to the Graham Baba Architects contract to advance the design to 60% and update schedule/costing would appear on next week's consent agenda; staff estimated a current construction-level estimate near $10.2 million for the design now under consideration. The council did not take final action on the project at the study session; members asked staff and partners to return with clearer scopes and funding commitments.
