The closure of Hiawatha Community Center has ripple effects this summer – including these two: When wading-pool season starts tomorrow, Hiawatha won’t be opening because of the center closure; also, the Admiral Neighborhood Association can’t resume its summer-concert series because Hiawatha’s unavailable as a venue. A few readers asked us recently for a status report on the community center, so here’s what we have found out from Seattle Parks. They’ve been waiting for approval of a half-million-dollar federal grant (via the Federal Emergency Management Agency), according to Parks’ Kelly Goold, who says that’s about a quarter of the funding for the work to be done at Hiawatha. Rules of the grant, Parks says, prohibited work from starting before the funding was received. Goold says they “believe we will have approval shortly.” Then they can put the project out to bid. If they don’t get the grant? “We will proceed with the project but will complete less project work.” A bit of preparation has been done, Goold says – primarily “hazmat removal.” Once construction starts, it’s expected to take about nine months – so if all goes well from here, Hiawatha might be ready to reopen next summer. The project as described by Parks will include “electrical repairs, water and sewer pipe replacements, furnace and water heater repairs, roof replacement, and more.”
West Seattle, Washington
04 Wednesday
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