Community Centers Decarbonization and Electrification (Decarbonization Package One)
Updated: June 15, 2026
Summer 2026
In 2023-2025, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) worked with Ecotope Inc on a feasibility study and with FSi Engineers on the 30% design. In June 2026, SPR has executed a separate contract with Sazan Group to complete the remaining design and construction administration work. SPR has hired McKinstry as the GC/CM contractor and preconstruction services has started in October 2025.
Schedule
Planning: 2024
Design: Early 2025 – Summer 2027
Construction: Summer 2027 – Fall 2028
Budget
The current total approved budget is about $13 million. The construction cost is estimated to be $9.5 million.
Project Description
SPR is vital in advancing the City of Seattle's efforts to respond to climate change. Thus, under Climate Change Mitigation Initiatives of SPR’s 6-Year Metropolitan Park District Cycle 2 (2023-2028), five SPR facilities including four Community Centers and one Maintenance Crew Headquarters will be electrified with Decarbonization Package One, which is a bundled project aimed at decarbonizing existing fossil fuel using equipment, improving general energy performance, and electrifying these facilities, to transform their energy profiles. The facilities included in this bundled project are:
- Jefferson Community Center (3801 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108)
- Garfield Community Center (2323 E Cherry St, Seattle, WA 98122)
- Rainier Community Center (4600 38th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118)
- Van Asselt Community Center (2820 S Myrtle St, Seattle, WA 98108)
- Genesee Maintenance Crew Headquarters (4420 S Genesee St, Seattle, WA 98118)
The scope includes decarbonization and necessary electrical upgrades for the added electrical loads. A reroof project at Van Asselt CC and installation of (20) Level-2 EV chargers at Genesee Maintenance Crew Headquarters are also included. SPR is also looking at improvements on overall energy performance, Photovoltaic (PV) Installation, and other desired scopes. Minimize service disruptions during construction as much as possible is one of the project goals.
The Discovery Park Visitor and Environmental Learning Center Restoration project (3801 Discovery Park Blvd, Seattle, WA 98199) has been added to the bundled project following major flooding from a broken water main in early 2025, which caused a complete loss of all basement-level mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. To expedite reopening, SPR has elected to pursue an in-kind replacement rather than a full decarbonization upgrade.
The project will utilize General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) contracting procedure defined in RCW 39.10. The use of the GC/CM process for this project was approved on December 10, 2024, by the Internal Review Committee (IRC) and Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) of the City of Seattle.