Press Release

23 October 2002

ARC ARCHITECTS SELECTED TO PROVIDE SITE PLANNING SERVICES FOR NORTHGATE LIBRARY/PARKS PROJECT

---

The Seattle Public Library board of trustees and Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Ken Bounds have selected ARC Architects to provide site planning services for a community center, library and park in Northgate.

The Library Board made its unanimous decision at its Oct. 22 meeting. Bounds made his selection the same day.

The Seattle-based firm was among four teams that a community advisory committee interviewed.

Greg Maffei, Library Board branch steward and a member of the advisory committee, said that after much deliberation the committee decided ARC Architects would do an excellent job of working with the stakeholders in Northgate and building consensus during the first phase of work.

Bounds agreed.

"There were many highly qualified architectural firms and landscape architects in the running for this job," Bounds said. "We chose ARC Architects because of its ability to work with communities to develop successful site plans and its track record of solid performance both with the Library and Parks. We're pleased to have the firm on board and look forward to working with the team and the community."

Founded in 1976, ARC Architects' projects include the NewHolly Community Center and Neighborhood Campus, which includes the NewHolly Branch of The Seattle Public Library, as well as the Tukwila, Ravenna-Eckstein and South Park community centers. It also is designing the expansion to the Library's Lake City Branch and an adjoining neighborhood service center.

Seventeen firms applied for the Northgate project. An advisory committee that included local residents reviewed proposals, selected finalists and conducted interviews. Community representatives on the advisory committee were Michelle Rupp, who owns Nowogroski Rupp Insurance Group in Northgate and helped establish the Northgate Chamber of Commerce, and Barbara Maxwell, who has served on the Maple Leaf Community Council since 1987 and has been involved in Northgate area planning for many years.

More than 80 people attended a public reception on Oct. 16 to meet the designers from ARC Architects, along with representatives from the three other finalist teams, Hewitt Architects with Johnston Architects, The Miller/Hull Partnership and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership. The consultants displayed examples of their work and answered questions.

The project includes building a 10,000-square-foot library, a 20,000-square-foot community center and a 1.67-acre park on the former Bon Tire Center site at Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 105th Street and the commercial site a block north. Two commercial buildings on the property will be demolished.

Site planning for the new facilities will continue into early 2003, when ARC Architects, the Library and Parks will share their findings with the community in a public presentation. After the two departments decide on a site plan, the advisory committee will reconvene to determine which of the finalist firms will design the facilities. The community center, library and park are expected to be finished in 2005.

Funding for the facilities comes from several sources.

Voters in 1998 approved the Libraries for All bond measure, which included money to build a new library in Northgate. The $5,139,000 library will include a new collection of 40,200 books and materials, reading and homework areas for children and youth, computer work stations and instruction areas and a meeting room.

In 1999, Seattle voters approved the community centers levy, which included $8.2 million for a new community center in Northgate. The community center will offer activities such as teen camps, basketball leagues, classes, after-school programs, community meetings, weddings and seniors programs.

In 2000, Seattle voters approved the Pro Parks Levy, which included nearly $4.4 million for a new park in Northgate. The park will play an important part in addressing the open space needs of the densely developed neighborhood.

For more information about "Libraries for All," visit the Library's Web site at www.spl.org; for more information about the community centers levy, please visit the Parks' Web site at http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/Centers/comcenlevyprog99.htm .

 

(For more information, call Caroline Young Ullmann, Library communications assistant, at 206-615-1627, or Joelle Ligon, Parks public relations specialist, 206-233-7929.)

 

Return to the Libraries for All capital projects page

Return to the list of press release headlines.

---

Content modified: 24 October 2002

10/24/2002