SILVERDALE – Due to a water-damaged roof, the high cost of repairs and liability concerns, the Silverdale Community Center will be closed this August.

“This building is tired,” said Angie Silva, senior policy analyst for the Kitsap County commissioners office.

The western portion of the building is already closed due to significant water damage, but the eastern half is still open. That open area includes the Evergreen meeting room on the lower floor and Central Stage Theatre of Central Kitsap performing area on the upper floor.

The building’s poor condition has made it a liability risk, Silva said.

“We also have some homeless issues that are now popping up into this (western) portion of the building,” Silva said. Also, some people were making unauthorized entry into the western half of the building even though doors leading into that area were bolted shut.

CSTOCK had earlier asked the county to keep the eastern half open for another 18-24 months, but Silva said that wouldn’t be possible.

Silva said even making temporary repairs to keep the eastern part of the building open for a while longer wouldn’t be worth it. If the western half were demolished to reduce liability,  there would be a loss of ADA access or loss of bathroom access for the rest of the building. Additionally, new work could trigger requirements for more electrical and sprinkler work, thus driving up the cost.

“The conclusion is to close permanently the community center in August,” she said.

Silva said the county informed CSTOCK of their decision verbally and was in the process of writing a formal letter to them as well.

The county has worked to find new homes for CSTOCK and other groups that had called the community center their home.

One of those groups ,the Kitsap Computing Seniors, may relocate to the Sheridan Community Center in Bremerton.

Central Kitsap Community Council member Angela VanFossen said she was impressed with the county’s efforts to find new homes for the groups.

“You guys have  done a fabulous job,” VanFossen said.

Changes to the community campus that the community center is located on could eventually include apartments and open space. In June, Kitsap County Commissioner Ed Wolfe will host a small working group to talk about how that can take place, and to hash out a business and financial plan. Issues of available space and parking will be addressed, and a solid plan is hoped to be made ready by the end of the summer.

New performing arts center, convention center could be built

Another theatrically minded group, the West Sound Performing Arts Center, hopes to build a  900-seat performing arts center with state-of-the-art theatre facilities on the community campus. A multi-purpose facility suitable for events, seminars and conventions could also be a part of the new facility.

Michael Stowell, with WSPAC, told council members that WSPAC was working with Coates Architects on Bainbridge Island to design the new building.

“Silverdale doesn’t have anything like that. You have to go to Bremerton to the convention center there to find something like that. So having a … superior, a modern facility, I think, would be valuable to the community.”

Stowell said he thought such a center would be a substantial economic and artistic benefit to the community.