WOODBURN – Monday night, the Woodburn City Council unanimously voted to refer a bond measure to voters for the November ballot to fund transforming the current Aquatic Center into a full-service community center.
“Our decision today to refer the Community Center bond measure to voters is an exciting culmination of years of work to design a full-service community center that will better serve our residents for recreation and events,” said Woodburn Mayor Frank Lonergan.
The Woodburn Community Center project began in 2008, when the city council conducted a community center feasibility study. Following the economic downturn at the time, the concept was put on pause until 2017, when the city council revisited the idea and began to update the 2008 study.
Through a multiyear process working to obtain funds through the Oregon Legislature, the city ultimately secured $15 million in matching funds from the state that will only be available if the project is fully funded by spring 2025. The city has committed an additional $5 million, ultimately reducing the overall cost of the bond to taxpayers by $20 million. The bond referred to voters by the city council is for $40 million.
“Woodburn is a wonderful place to live, but our diverse community is growing and we need to be forward-thinking about planning for our future,” said Anthony Veliz, Community Center Citizen Advisory Committee member and local small business owner. “I’ve long been involved with helping to bring the Woodburn Community Center to life because I think it will be a multigenerational, multicultural, and multilingual hub for our community.”
First constructed in 1948, Woodburn’s original outdoor pool was rebuilt into the current Woodburn Aquatic Center in 1995. As Woodburn’s population and needs expand, it has become clear that the aging facility, along with neighboring Settlemier Park, falls short of meeting the community’s growing needs – including accessibility requirements.
The upgraded and expanded Center would include:
An event space and a comm
unity multi-purpose room with a commercial kitchen to host large eventsA drop-in childcare center for people using the facility and space for after-school and summer programmingADA accessibility upgrades to the Center and Settlemier ParkA two-court gymnasium for youth and adult sports leagues including basketball, pickleball, volleyball and other court sportsThe addition of a warm-water pool that would be more accessible for seniors and people with disabilities and available for family recreation, swim lessons, therapy and exercise classesRepairs and improvements to the existing lap poolWeights, cardio and exercise facilities that will provide expanded health and wellness opportunities including fitness, cardio and weight equipment, and class spaceAn indoor walking and jogging track that can be used year-round for youth and adult fitness programs and exerciseA new universally inclusive playground in Settlemier Park, tennis courts, outdoor sports courts, a picnic shelter, and added pathways
If passed, the estimated annual tax rate would be approximately $0.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $15 per month for the average homeowner in Woodburn. If the measure does not pass, the community center would not be constructed and taxes would not increase.
Voters in the city of Woodburn will see this measure on their ballot for the November 5, 2024 election.
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