Northgate Community Center Project Fact Sheet

Grand Opening!

Thank you, Seattle! This project is complete!

On Saturday, July 15, 2006, the community joined Mayor Greg Nickels and members of the Seattle City Council to mark the grand opening of the new Northgate Community Center, Northgate Park and Northgate Branch Library.

The project includes a 20,000-square-foot community center, a 10,000-square-foot library, and a 1.67-acre park on the site of the former Goodyear store at Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 105th Street and the commercial site one lot north.

The Miller|Hull Partnership designed the buildings and the park to create an urban gathering place for the community. The library is prominently located along Fifth Avenue Northeast. The main reading space is focused toward the park. The community center is placed at the south end of the site with a children's play area to the north to maximize the green space devoted to the park.

The project also includes artwork for the community center designed by Nikki McClure, a mixed-media artist from Olympia. Art for the branch library was designed by glass and metal artist Dana Lynn Louis, of Portland. The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs manages the public art program for the Library and Parks.

Funding for the new facilities comes from several sources.

In 1999, Seattle voters approved the community centers levy, which included money for a new community center in Northgate. The $8.85 million community center offers activities such as teen camps, basketball leagues, classes, after-school programs, community meetings, and programs for seniors.

In 2000, Seattle voters approved the Pro Parks Levy, which included nearly money for a new park in Northgate. The $4.8 million park plays an important part in addressing the open space needs of the densely developed neighborhood.

Voters in 1998 approved the Libraries for All bond measure, which included money to build a new library in Northgate. The $6,693,570 branch will include a new collection capacity of 40,200 books and materials, reading and homework areas for children and youth, computers, instruction areas, and a meeting room.

Adjacent to this project is the Fifth Avenue NE Streetscape Project. The Seattle Department of Transportation administered the project, which created a safe, pedestrian-friendly street that accommodates all types of transportation. Improvements include landscaping medians, widened sidewalks, new trees and a pedestrian promenade with an improved crosswalk connecting the new community center and library to the Northgate Mall.

Key Milestones

July 2006: Grand opening of new facilities.

March 2005: Parks, the Library, Mayor Greg Nickels, members of City Council and the community gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facilities. Absher Construction began construction on the project.

February 2005: The City received six bids (PDF) for the construction of the project. Four of the six bids were within the project budget.

January 2005: The City advertised for bids for the second time.
> complete list of Revised Design

September 2004: Mayor Greg Nickels proposed adding an additional $1 million to the Northgate Branch, community center and park project as part of his 2005 budget. The City Council will review the budget this fall.

July 2004: Construction bids for the project came in higher than expected.
November 2003 & February 2004: Residents viewed design images of the project.

May 2003: Residents described their vision for the design, and discussed preferences in services, equipment, programs, library collections, and artwork.
March 2003: The Library and Parks selected The Miller/Hull Partnership to design the project.

February 2003: Residents commented on site plans.

October 2002: The Library and Parks selected ARC Architects to provide site planning services.

June 2002: The Library and Parks agreed to build the project on the former Bon Tire Center site at Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 105th Street.

August 2001-February 2002: Parks holds three public meetings for residents to discuss siting options for community center and park.

November 2000: Seattle voters approved the $198.2 million Pro Parks Levy.
May 2000: The Library and Parks invited residents to a meeting to discuss co-locating the Northgate branch and community center.

January & March 2000: Library holds two public meetings for residents to discuss siting options for new branch library.

November 1999: Seattle voters approved the $72 million community centers levy.

November 1998: Seattle voters approved the $196.4 million "Libraries for All" bond measure.

Public Involvement

A Project Advisory Team (PAT) was appointed by the Superintendent in Summer 2003. The PAT will meet frequently during the design phases. They will also have briefings and site tours during construction. The PAT is an advisory committee made up of representatives of key stakeholder groups. It is intended to facilitate sustained and balanced stakeholder participation, providing recommendations on the design of the gym. Meetings of the PAT are open to the public. At its meetings, the PAT will review project scope, budget, schedule, recent accomplishments, and upcoming tasks. Recommendations of the PAT on these topics will be given substantial weight by the Parks Department. Meeting agendas and minutes will be available below.

Planning and Design Meetings

Project Advisory Team Meetings
(All Project Advisory Team meetings are held at the Parks North Headquarters, 8061 Densmore Ave. N. Meetings begin at 7 p.m.)

Siting Meetings

To get your name added to the Northgate Community Center mailing list, please contact Public Relations Specialist, Joelle Ligon at joelle.ligon@seattle.gov.

For more information about the Library, visit the library project page.

For more information about the Fifth Avenue Streetscape Improvements or to be added to the Seattle Department of Transportation's mailing list, view the SDOT project page.

	Size	Project description	Total project budget	Contact information
Library	10,000 SF	•Collection capacity of 40,200 books and materials •Meeting room •Areas for children and youth • Public computers	$6.3 million*	David Kunselman, 386-4096, david.kunselman@spl.org
Community center	20,000 SF	•Teen camps •Basketball leagues •Classes •After-school programs	$8.2 million	Tim Motzer, 684-7060, tim.motzer@seattle.gov
Park	1.67 acres	•Multi-purpose recreation area •Community center play area •Courtyard •Plaza/amphitheater	$4.8 million**	Tim Motzer, 684-7060,tim.motzer@seattle.gov
Street improvements	1st phase: Fifth Avenue Northeast between Northgate Way and Northeast 105th Street	•Wider sidewalks •Improved crossing to Northgate Mall •Street medians and trees •Lighting	$2.1 million	Sandra Woods, 684-5298, sandra.woods@seattle.gov
Mayoral Addition	N/A	Mayor Greg Nickels and City Council added $1 million to the project budget after the high bids from July 2004.	$1 million	N/A

*Note: To view a PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download it for free at www.adobe.com.