Ridgefield’s long-awaited community and recreation center project returned to the City Council on Thursday, June 5, with an early look at the redesigned facility interiors and exteriors, changes aimed at keeping the project within budget after an unexpected $5 million cost hike.
The project has been in the making for nearly a decade. A 2016 market study showed Ridgefield residents had one of the highest interests nationally in a YMCA facility. Since then, the city has evaluated funding strategies, identified land, and entered into a public-private partnership with Bluerock Ventures and the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette. The building site is located on North 50th Place and will be north of Pioneer Street.
Last year, the estimated costs were $35 million. In March, estimates for the facility surged to nearly $41 million, largely due to the site’s sloped terrain and associated earthwork.
“The cost escalator was the site work,” City Manager Steve Stuart explained. “If you look at the site work alone, it’s over $8 million.”
To get the project back on budget, city staff and architects made a series of cost-cutting changes. The most significant: rotating and mirroring the site layout, placing the community center on the north and the recreation center on the south. This reorientation allowed the team to lower the grade of the entry road and cut the amount of earth that needed to be hauled in or retained.
Other savings were achieved by eliminating mechanical redundancies, scaling back a rooftop HVAC system, reducing roof overhangs, and eliminating spaces such as the gym balcony and a fitness studio. Altogether, the changes brought the estimated cost back down to roughly $35 million.
Proposed exterior design draws mixed reviews
With the redesign came a new exterior look. The previously proposed yellow-green finish was swapped for a darker, modern wood facade. The updated appearance drew a range of opinions from councilors.
Councilor Meghan Hamilton described the look as disjointed.
“I feel kind of neutral about it,” Hamilton said. “It almost looks like two different things pushed together… it looks good, but that part is like really the funky part and the traditional part.”
Councilor Clyde Burkle said community members he’s spoken with are more focused on amenities than appearances.
“All they want is they want a Y,” Burkle said. “They could give two hoots regarding what this looks like … I think it makes a real statement for our city, something unique, something different.”
Mayor Matt Cole, initially skeptical of the new layout, ultimately supported the changes after seeing how the building aligns with views and natural light.
“When I first saw it turned, I was like of like ‘put it back, that felt kind of weird,’” Cole said. “Now that you see it … if those big [windows] are facing west … if I’m on a treadmill and I’m looking at those windows, I think it’s a much better view than it would be looking at a busy roadway, so I actually really like this.”
The updated parking lot is expected to include 121 spaces. Councilor Katie Favella requested designated parking for expecting mothers. Councilor Rian Davis emphasized the need for safer bicycle access to avoid conflicts between bikes and vehicles.
Reviewing an interior site plan for the city-owned community center, council members expressed strong support for a commercial kitchen designed to serve both recreational and economic purposes.
“These kinds of commercial kitchens are rare,” Stuart said. “They provide an opportunity… for local farmers around our area… to create value adds from their commodity crops.”
Councilors saw the kitchen as a good fit for Ridgefield’s agricultural character. The space could host cooking classes and senior meals or serve as a certified facility for small producers.
But not all features drew praise. Mayor Cole said he was “underwhelmed” by the size of the largest gathering space, suggesting that it be expanded by reducing the building’s lounge or lobby area.
“I would hope for it to be a little bit larger,” he said.
Davis raised concerns about the nearby teen gaming room, asking planners to ensure its walls are soundproof to avoid disrupting events held next door.
The recreation center includes three youth-sized full basketball courts, fitness rooms for cardio and weight exercises, a child watch zone, locker rooms and a track overlooking the courts. The natatorium will feature a six-lane cold-water lap pool and a zero-entry warm-water pool, ideal for swim lessons and family use. Both pools will be accessible, with lifts and space for wheelchairs.
Stuart said the decision to use three smaller courts instead of one regulation-size gym was made after receiving feedback from other YMCAs.
“If they were doing it over again they wouldn’t build a big basketball court,” he said. “You can actually get more pickleball courts in there… and save a little bit of those square feet.”
Stuart said three smaller courts would support more uses, especially youth basketball and pickleball, without sacrificing space.
Natural light was also a highlight in the redesigned facility. Large gym windows on varying elevations will bring light to both upper and lower levels of the building.
