The Ridgefield City Council ensured its recreation and community center is on track to open in 2026 following a $146,000 contract increase.
In a March study session, the council approved a plan to build two visually seamless but functionally different buildings, operated by the City of Ridgefield and the YMCA, respectively. YMCA Columbia-Willamette CEO Tyler Wright explained that purchasing and operating a larger YMCA was too costly following inflation and lower membership post-COVID-19. Ridgefield will operate the community center, and the YMCA will own the recreation center after purchasing the building.
Aetta Architects signed a contract with the City to design and secure permits for a future community and recreation center in 2021. Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart said the recent amendment that split the site into two distinct buildings required increasing the original contract budget. More than $340,000 of the original $392,500 contract has been spent on previous drafts, site assessments and more. The council voted unanimously to increase its amount by $146,000, with the total cost for Ridgefield not to exceed $538,500.
“We’re excited to keep working to bring this project to life,” Stuart said. “This is just another step along that path.”
The city’s next step is to draft an agreement with Bluerock Ventures, the private developer planning to build both facilities. The YMCA plans to purchase the recreational facility for $20 million following a capital fundraising campaign. Ridgefield will purchase the community center for $10 million.
“The (City) Council’s for it. We’re so totally for it,” Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow said. “It’s a challenge with [the YMCA], but they say they’re going to step up, and we want them to step up.”
The YMCA will include a full-sized gym, a leisure and lap pool, two fitness rooms and an elevated track above the gym. The building will be two stories tall and span 34,500 square feet. The city-operated community center will be one story tall and span 8,500 square feet. Ridgefield will host a community discussion to gauge what amenities interest residents at a future date.
The city is now on track to acquire permits for the two facilities by April next year. Construction is expected to begin in February next year and end around July 2026, after North 50th Place, a new road north of Pioneer Street, is paved. The road will be completed around June next year. Pioneer Street will be widened this year to accommodate anticipated traffic.
