GONZALES — City leaders hosted a Zoom town hall meeting May 16 to discuss the planned Gonzales Community Center to be built on Fifth Street near the high school.
The project has been in the works for years, but city leaders were interested in community feedback.
The 23,000-square-foot center would include a large multi-purpose room, conference rooms, public library, outdoor theater and kitchen. The total cost estimate made in 2019 was placed at $20 million for the project.
Possible uses for the center include community meetings, events, library relocation, recreation, fitness programs, outdoor activities, performing arts and farmers markets. Within that space, 6,000 square feet would be used by the library.
“This has been a dream of the community on the order of about 20 years,” said Patrick Dobbins, public works director. He noted a planning effort in 2002 examined four sites, followed by more studies over the years.
“This is a concept and we’re hoping to receive more feedback so we can take it to the next level,” said Luis Vargas, CFO of In Studio Architecture. “At this point we’re asking for community input to see what’s best for our neighbors and community.”
Funding for the center was discussed, with possible sources being a sales tax measure, grants or partnerships.
“There’s probably not going to be a lot of funding for a traditional community center,” said City Manager Rene Mendez. “We’ll continue to pursue those. We might be able to match funding sources for landscaping or streetscaping.”
Mendez noted that in prior years, securing the funding for the center would be tricky enough, but the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic complicates finding funding for the project.
As far as a sales tax increase of half a cent, Mendez said when the economy stabilizes, it could generate an estimated $600,000 per year for the city.
“That is only doable if the community participated because it has to go to a vote,” he said.
Debt being incurred by the city was the most likely method to make sure the project gets rolling, according to Mendez in his presentation.
“It is doable, we can do it, but it’s going to require all of us working together to get this done,” Mendez said.
Once it does get rolling, the city must conduct the proper planning, studies and bid process before construction can begin.
Dobbins said he estimated the project could take anywhere from five to 10 years to complete. One consideration, he noted, was potential impact on traffic along Fifth Street.
Mendez said he believed the project could be completed within 12 to 18 months for the construction process, though the overall process could be as few as three years.
Though the library is operated by Monterey County, the overall center would be managed by the city, according to Mendez.
Residents interested in joining a volunteer steering group can email [email protected].
