At the Dec. 4 City Council meeting, staff shared a preview of the proposed Mickey Cafagna Community Center, including a virtual tour of the new facility’s floorplan. Though design plans are not fully complete, the update provided a much-anticipated look at the evolution from rough sketches to reality for Poway’s multi-generational, multi-purpose shared-use center.
The City is designing the center to meet the community’s needs while being mindful of costs and available funding. Construction documents are being prepared for what staff is referring to as the “hybrid” floor plan (18,082 square feet). Documents will include an option to increase the square footage of the center with an additional classroom and large meeting room. The larger floorplan is referred to as the “hybrid plus” floorplan.
Final construction documents should be ready by the end of January. The total project cost will include the design phase (currently underway), the construction phase and the addition of a limited-term construction project manager dedicated to the oversight of this project. The position was recently approved by Council as part of a reorganization of the Capital Projects division of Development Services. With the plans 50 percent complete, there is roughly a $3.2 million deficit in funding currently allocated for the “hybrid” version of the community center and close to $5 million deficit for the “hybrid plus” design. Council is scheduled to discuss funding options in February and, anticipating consensus is reached, the project is on track to go out to bid in April.
In preparation for demolition/construction starting in July 2019, staff is working to relocate city programs offered at the community center. The Poway Valley Senior Citizen Corporation (known as the senior center) has not yet identified a temporary location for their operations during construction. The city provides the non-profit organization with facility space at no charge so that it, in turn, can offer programs and services to seniors from Poway and surrounding communities. The senior center is working to find sufficient space, at a reasonable cost, that will accommodate their programs and services during the construction period.