City Beat

City council approves plan for Gardner area center

Initial construction could be enhanced by future site projects

By Kate Carter

Residents of Willow Glen's Gardner community can look forward to an updated place to gather, share and learn, as the San Jose City Council Jan. 15 approved a plan to rebuild the Gardner Community Center, with an eye to future improvements at the adjacent Biebrach Park and a possible new gymnasium.

The new community center on Virginia Street is among the first made possible by the passage of Measure P in November 2000, which approved a $228 million bond for improvements to the city's park facilities. The city will replace the existing and outdated 6,000-square-foot center with a 12,000-square-foot one, which will allow for a three-times-larger multipurpose room, increased classroom and kitchen space and new utilities.

Consultant architects Sugimura and Associates worked with city staff and Gardner residents at several community meetings last year to determine priorities for the new center and draft plans. The process also included conversations with members of the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative committee already working to improve streets and buildings throughout the Gardner, Gregory Plaza and Atlanta neighborhoods.

The most significant result of those meetings was a master plan to upgrade the entire Biebrach Park/community center site, not all of which can be completed within the approximately $5 million project budget. Youth advocated for a gym, which the community doesn't have, and neighbors supported the idea of new restrooms near the pool, a walking path around the park's field and decorative paving at the intersection of Virginia and Willis streets. That work will be postponed, but the new center, new tot and youth play lots, new parking lot and improved plaza area will be accomplished with the initial project. City staff anticipates construction to begin on the project in January 2003 and use of the new center to begin in summer 2004.

Neighbors and city leaders say the master plan gives the community a goal for which it can try to solicit funds as well as ensures that work done now will not impede work that could be done later.

District 2 City Councilman Forrest Williams applauded the master plan and said it set a good example for the city's eight other community center projects for how such projects could be developed and implemented.

"I'm glad to see this project laid out so we can get a total view of what's going to be occurring there," he said.

The Steinberg Group architects will draft the schematic design plans for construction, said Gary Okazaki of the city's department of parks, recreation and neighborhood services.

The new community center will be oriented to face east toward Biebrach Park instead of north to Virginia Street. The largest, northernmost building will house the approximately 3,000-square-foot multipurpose room, a kitchen and restrooms, to satisfy the community's need for a place to gather, and to host a senior nutrition program. A smaller building south of the first will hold an office, weight room and game room. The third, southernmost building will include four classrooms to accommodate the center's growing need for more instruction space.

A new landscaped plaza, accessible from Virginia Street to the north and the Willis Street cul-de-sac to the south, will separate the center from the park's field, which will remain intact. A new parking lot with about 15 parking spaces will be located west of the center buildings, and the entire site will be separated from the neighboring residences by landscaping and fencing.

East of the park field, the tot and youth play lots will be upgraded, and a new modular restroom will replace existing restrooms. It is proposed that the rest of the park's east side will be upgraded in the future, including a new permanent restroom near the pool, a new gym south of the play lots with its own restrooms, lockers and parking lot and new fencing. Also proposed are a path to surround the field and lights to allow usage of the field for soccer and other sports after dark.

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