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Submitted Photo
An architect’s rendering of the Skagit Valley Indoor Recreation and Event Center, to be built near Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon. The county needs $2 million to complete funding for the $8 million project. Courtsey of Sink Combs Dethlefs.
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A pared-down version of a Skagit Valley Indoor Recreation and Event Center, without a pool, will be presented to the public Tuesday.
Most of the funding has been secured for the $8 million center, which includes three basketball courts, a dance floor, offices and locker rooms. Skagit County received a $1 million state grant and has decided to take out a $5 million bond that would be repaid with taxes the county receives from real estate transactions.
No new taxes would be raised to pay for the facility, said Bob Vaux, the county’s parks and recreation director.
“For this project to be successful, we really can’t ask the taxpayers for more taxes. We have to be committed to that,” Vaux said.
County residents have said in surveys that a swimming pool is a high-priority need, but a pool has been relegated to phase 2 of the project, if it’s to be built at all. County officials consistently said they would not fund construction or maintenance of a pool, which would add about $10 million to the center’s price tag.
Nor has the Skagit Valley YMCA seen fit to partner with the county on the project.
“There’s nothing they’re building that we can take advantage of,” YMCA Executive Director Bob Shrumm said Thursday. “There’s really not the opportunity for a partnership.”
Shrumm said it didn’t make sense for the YMCA to manage a pool separate from its other facilities. The rec center will be built on College Way, directly east of Skagit Valley College.
“To operate a pool separate from your main facility is not practical for us and to carry the expense that would go with it. If it were subsidized, that would be a different thing,” Shrumm said.
The YMCA still wants a new pool and is pursuing two options without the county. One is at its sports center in Bakerview Park. Or, Shrumm said, the YMCA might partner with another organization to build a pool at the second site. He declined to name the location of the site or the possible partner.
Now that a pool is unlikely in the new rec center, Vaux said the county can focus on bread-and-butter programs like basketball and volleyball.
The rec center project is at a crucial point. Planning is nearly complete, and the next step is to get the center built.
County commissioners will hear about the project and have a chance to provide input at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The public meeting will be held in the commissioners’ hearing room at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon.
A second meeting will be held Tuesday evening, starting at 7 p.m., at the same location. The public will hear details of the plan and have an opportunity to comment.
Before ground can be broken, the county needs to come up with another $2 million. Commissioners went to Washington D.C. this week to ask the local congressional delegation for $3 million. The extra funding would go toward a youth activity area, a meeting room and a kitchen.
But Vaux would be satisfied with $2 million, to cover the very first phase.
“I’m sitting here with $6 million in hand. I’ll beat on (state and federal) government doors until I come up with another $2 million,” Vaux said.
There other possible funding sources, Vaux added. Potential financial partners include cities such as Mount Vernon and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Skagit County.
One can always hope for a rich benefactor, too.
“If there’s a rec version of the McIntyre family out there, we’re going to be thrilled to talk to those folks,” Vaux said.
• Ralph Schwartz can be reached at 360-416-2138 or .
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Posted by Irtnog on 
March 08, 2008 - 06:50 PM
Let me get this straight the county does a survey and a large percentage of residents want a new pool to be included in this new rec center .
But Mr Vaux goes along and spends money to design one without a pool. So what I see here is another so called public servant building another mounument to his arrogance.
To hell with what the taxpayers want we dont care we are your elected leaders and only we decide what you people need or want.