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Recreation Division reports record rental revenue, Luther Burbank construction advertisement and rising usage
Summary
Interim recreation manager Katie Herzog presented the Recreation Division’s 2025 annual report, reporting a peak rental month of $102,788 in May, 2,251 bookings (8,029.75 hours) at the community center, athletic field bookings up 15% (11,568 hours) after a new online system, and that the Luther Burbank Park waterfront improvements project was advertised for construction with more than $5,000,000 in grants and a 15–18 month construction timeline once a contract is awarded.
Katie Herzog, interim recreation manager and staff liaison, presented the Recreation Division 2025 annual report at the Arts Council meeting on July 15.
Herzog said the Luther Burbank Park waterfront improvement project—designed beginning in 2020—reached a milestone in June when the city advertised the work for construction. She told the council the project has received more than $5,000,000 in state and county grant funding, requires more than 20 permits from eight federal, state and local agencies, and that staff anticipate bringing a construction contract to City Council in July; Herzog estimated construction will take 15–18 months after contract award.
On operations, Herzog reported 2,251 community-center bookings totaling 8,029.75 hours in 2025, plus about 372 city-business bookings (~1,700 hours). The Recreation Division recorded 15,688 participants in drop-in sports and 8,346 fitness-center visits. Athletic-field bookings rose to 11,568 hours (a 15% increase over 2024), which staff attributed in part to a new online booking system.
Herzog said the department ran a busy schedule of city-coordinated events in 2025 (summer celebration, family movie nights, tree lighting, senior resource fair and Juneteenth) and partnered with local organizations including the Mercer Island Sister City Association and Mercer Island Chinese Association. She also noted the junior art show runs through Aug. 21 and that a community photography show will run Aug. 24–Oct. 16 with an Aug. 7 submission deadline.
Councilors asked whether the new light-rail station had increased park and event attendance; Herzog said police and business reports indicate more people are using the station and that staff saw some increased attendance at events and at Luther Burbank. Herzog said staff will use police reports and other tools to better quantify off-island visitation.
Herzog also confirmed the recreation facility supervisor position that had been vacant for most of 2025 is open again and that the city expects interviews and hiring activity soon. No formal budget or staffing decisions were made at the meeting.
