Rumors have been circulating for several months that the Edmonds Conference Center, currently owned and operated by Edmonds Community College, has been for sale. Now the Edmonds City Council is researching whether the city should purchase it.
Following citizen testimony at Tuesday night’s city council meeting that the State of Washington has declared the conference center as surplus property, the council agreed to investigate whether it wants to pursue buying the 11,252 gross building area conference Center, which was built in 1997. The property has 27 paved onsite parking spaces behind the building.
As a public agency, the City of Edmonds has until May 4, 2015 to notify the state of its desire to acquire the property, which is valued at $2.3 million.
Both Doug Swartz and Jenny Antilla urged the council to investigate whether the city could earn revenue from conference center, which has been rented out by Edmonds Community College to various groups over the years.
Councilmembers directed Council President Adrienne Fraley-Monillas to acquire information related to the facility, including its condition, operating costs, yearly rental income, and what possible state offsets might be available for the purchase price.
The council will discuss the issue during its April 28 meeting, and public comment will be taken at that time.
You can review the entire State Property Bulletin regarding the property here.
I wonder if the Edmonds Senior Center could move to the Edmonds Conference Center? What would be the advantages, or disadvantages, to such a move?
A good thought, but I don’t believe that there is adequate parking there for the ESC.
Evaluating this opportunity seems to be a waste of the Mayor’s and council’s time, as well as city staff’s time. Washington cities must provide four mandatory services: public safety, streets, utilities, and administration of those three services. Our city badly needs additional police resources, as well as a massive amount of street work and sidewalks. We clearly do not have sufficient funds for those two mandatory services, so time should not be wasted looking at what the State classifies as discretionary services.
If the ECC property would work as a senior center, that would probably be worth doing since in effect the city would be trading one property for another one.
Using it as a Senior Center would also free up the current SC site which if sold on the open market would be worth $8m+. We have also not seen the financials and plan to acquire Civic Field. Even with an unnamed amount from a State grant to purchase Civic Field, we may need to come up with added money either for the purchase or other work. Is anything budgeted?
Maybe we can ask the City Council Finance Committee to let us all in on some of these budget issues. It would be nice to know that we have a plan and the dollars to pay for some of these things.
Darrol, The City Council voted unanimously on September 2, 2014 to direct the City Attorney to create an Ordinance related to the City Council Meeting Format that included the REMOVAL of all committee meetings. The last time the Finance Committee met was on September 9, 2014 – so there is no Finance Committee that you can ask questions of.
The committees have been abolished. A related Ordinance was never passed, so Council Presidents have been violating the Code since last September.
The City should make every possible effort to ensure that the Conference Center remains in operation as an attractive public events and meetings venue. We have very few other similar public meeting facilities in the heart of Edmonds where they are needed most. Replacing it would be very difficult, time consuming and costly. The demise of the Conference Center would be a major loss for the entire community in many ways. Many of us have fond memories of the all the informative, entertaining and celebration events we have attended at the Center over the years. In addition, loss of the Center would be a serious economic blow to our downtown Edmonds businesses. It draws many people from outside Edmonds who spend their money here.
Certainly something the city council should research. The economic benefits could be substantial, including the appreciation in value of the property over time, the lower cost for future city use if needed, and if properly managed, a special events venue that would bring revenue to both downtown businesses and the city which would support some of city’s other needs. Taking control of the property and leasing to others for their use would provide the city with options for its own future uses. To let the opportunity pass without getting all the facts and analyzing the benefits to the city and its citizens would be short sighted in my opinion. I think the council has both a fiduciary and social responsibility to see if acquiring the building would serve the citizens they represent.
For future generations this is a prime location for the City to use as a Community Center and will be a positive aspect for groups, clubs, & tourism groups to rent and use the facilities. Also providing extra parking spaces and toilets in the downtown core. We have to, as a City, think of the long term option to us, for a building and the location to ever become available.
We shouldn’t narrow our view for the future.
Edmonds was offered this facility for free around 1997 by the couple who owned it, and the City declined, now this is our 2nd chance to do the right thing.
I believe the city originally declined the Conference Center building when it was offered to the city. Then Edmonds Community College accepted it. The city is reluctant to take on buildings which require upkeep and staff to run it. If the city changed the Senior Center to that location, it is possible that the building would not be as open to meetings for the public. So there are many ramifications.
Also, many will be reluctant to move the Senior Center and lose the advantage of its present location and the possibility of development which would not be attractive for the general public.
However, it is always valuable to have open discussion about all the possibilities so the public is better informed.
It will probably be bought by the city…If the City Council and Mayor is offered two choices, the wrong choice is always made…being a spendthrift trumps prudence.
Witness Sunset; Main street narrowing debacle; Overpriced Five Corners Roundabout; Unused SR104 Cross walk; etc.
Foolishly spending other peoples’ money is such fun…eventually one runs out of it!
One advantage of turning it into the Senior Center is that you would eliminate the concerns with the train crossings being blocked in the vent of an emergency. But Mr.. Wambolt points out the parking constraints and I am sure that the Senior Center would prefer their waterfront location in spite of the Safety concerns.
I would think more money could be made by the SC by having a new building ON THE WATER that could be rented out by private parties for receptions, parties, weddings, even workshops or professional meetings, classes, presentations, etc. and being a senior center and community makes for more possibilties for people to rent rooms
Ive been here 5 years and there never looks like much going on at the conference center and the location is nothing special
Also, build parking somewhere by SC on water………….They will come
Why do I get the feeling that this is really about someone opening the floodgates and building CONDOS on the water at SC spot now……….There is all that development happening at antique mall……..how convenient that this new idea is floating around……..
I hope the citizens do not ballardize, seattlize or kirklandize here…..happens pretty fast
The building has been underutilized for years. For some reason (size, parking, interior layout and location) the facility does not draw the conference trade needed to make it viable. I love the location. It is close to shopping, dining and the waterfront.
I second Mr. Williams concerns with the City taking on this project. And the word ‘parking’ really is the final answer regardless of one’s desire to grab hold of the property. There is no place for additional cars in downtown, and I doubt that the ECA will give up space given its busy schedule. And I thought there already was agreement about rebuilding the SC on its current site. Given dedicated parking and the opportunity to rent the facility to generate add’l income. Regardless of how folks feel about the building, it’s not a good business decision.
That place needs a ton of work and their is little parking. The land is worth the price but unless the city is into real estate speculation I say pass.