Community Center update: Enumclaw hopes to lower taxpayer cost

Mayor Jan Molinaro has said the city has worked to reduce the tax rate locals would pay for such a project

By Ray Miller-Still • October 6, 2023 1:40 pm
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Image courtesy Cornerstone Architecture A digital mockup of what an Enumclaw Community Center exterior could look like.
Image courtesy Cornerstone Architecture A digital mockup of what an Enumclaw Community Center exterior could look like.

Editor’s note: Additional information has been added to this article since published Oct. 6, like that the proposed Community Center location is in the Cole Street and Initial Avenue parking lot.

Enumclaw continues to move forward with developing a new community center in its downtown corridor.

In a recent announcement, Mayor Jan Molinaro said that the city is working to not only add what services are being offered at the community center, but also reduce costs, at least to local taxpayers.

At this juncture, the community center project — which includes a new senior center, the Arts Alive! nonprofit, offices for the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce and the city’s Parks and Rec Department, a common space, and a full-sized gym, all to be located in the Cole Street and Initial Avenue parking lot — is expected to cost $21 million.

Molinaro said that additional parties like farmer’s markets, art performers, and various festival organizers have also expressed interest in utilizing the center since the project got off the ground.

Since the city can’t afford to build such a building on its own, elected officials are expected to put a bond measure in front of voters sometime in the near future. The bond the city is looking to put to voters would be for $19 million, with the remaining funds coming from city reserves.

The original estimate for the bond would have taxed Enumclaw residents within the city limits 33 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value.

However, the estimated rate has dropped to 28 cents.

For the average homeowner, who has $500,000 in assessed property value, that means the annual tax estimate drops from $165 to $140.

That tax rate estimate could drop even further; the city has identified a grant that can provide up to $3.35 million for the project. Any private donations Enumclaw can secure will also affect the tax rate — but any of these additional funds are contingent on 60% of city residents approving the bond.

Molinaro, in a later email interview, said that he hopes a bond measure will be on the April 2024 election ballot.

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