Islanders voted for a centrally located recreation center.
BI Parks and Rec changed their minds.
Is
Through a vote by the people, Bainbridge Island Park and Recreation District acquired the 23 acre Sakai Park Property in 2015 for $5.9M.
A survey conducted in 2017 indicated a high interest and expectation that the park district develop roughly 6 acres for recreation use due to its location and proximity to the Winslow core. The schematics present
54% respondents wanted a recreation center at Sakai.
“A multi-use facility that is centrally located in Winslow would be well utilized and a huge addition to the parks and rec program on BI. The rest of the Sakai development is a tremendous idea for the core of Winslow given that this is the highest area of growth on the island and it could be accessed by walking and bicycling.”
- Sakai Use Survey Respondent
Schematics were presented in 2019.
The full plan, including a multi-purpose building, multi-generation analog building, multi-generational digital building, outdoor center, field house, restroom building, picnic shelters, and a separate BIMPRD office building was proposed. The cost of 7 structures, sports fields, and trails totaled $52 million.
BAC facilities pale in comparison to the original Sakai plans.
The proposed field house design includes multiple gymnasium spaces, a gymnastics space, running track, studio space, storage, and locker rooms. The total (high end) proposed cost of this section of the project is comparable to the BAC purchase, contrary to what parks and recreation staff and commissioners have stated in public meetings.
You will end up paying for this purchase, no matter what.
Bi Parks and rec are initiating a commercial real estate loan through Commerce Bank, but it is backed by a General Obligation bond. Basically, when they default, property owners in the district will be left to pay an assessment and foot the bill.
Think of it this way: with the population of BI about 26,000 and the BAC purchase for $13 million, that means that every person on BI is paying $500 for BAC whether they use it or not.
Also, since only about 10% (2300 users max) of the BI population might use the facility in the future, the cost would be $5600 per post purchase user.
Since current use is about 1000 and if 500 new Parks users were added, the cost for every new Parks user would be $26,000
