CenterPlace is off to good financial start

After opening late last summer, CenterPlace community center in Spokane Valley is off to a promising start with rental receipts exceeding expectations and many of the best weekends this year already booked.

Revenues covered 73 percent of the cost to operate the facility in the first quarter of this year. Initially, city officials expected to recover only 48 percent of the cost.

“A lot of the prime weekends have been reserved throughout the summer,” Parks Director Mike Jackson told the council at its meeting Tuesday night.

The fledgling city took on its first big capital facilities project in 2003 when it took over the CenterPlace project from Mirabeau Point Inc.

Area businessmen formed the group to develop a community center and park on the south bank of the Spokane River near the Valley Mall. Most of the funding for CenterPlace came from a $7 million bond approved by voters in 2002.

The building features wireless classrooms, an auditorium, a banquet hall, the Spokane Valley Senior Center and conference rooms.

So far it’s been popular for weddings and receptions, with 78 booked. There also have been reservations for 59 seminars and meetings, 33 parties, three school dances and two graduation ceremonies.

Setting up those reservations has been more of a challenge since CenterPlace coordinator Lisa Bracco left her job in March.

The city currently is taking applications for that position, and Jackson asked the council to consider adding an additional administrative assistant and maintenance person.

Activity at the Spokane Valley Senior Center has also been brisk. Membership has increased 50 percent since the center moved from its old building next to Valley Mission Park.

“We still have a lot of people come in and sign up,” said Marlene Kramer, the center’s volunteer coordinator.

Area colleges rent much of the second floor for classes under an agreement with the city.

“It started off slow but it’s getting better,” said Lilly Moon, computer training manager with the Institute for Extended Learning.

About three of the six classrooms are usually in use on a daily basis, she said.

She said the rooms and computer labs have been great.

“It’s very top of the line,” she said while setting up for a computer class.

Because it’s one of the only places in Spokane Valley that can house large meetings, CenterPlace also is trying to bring more conferences and business seminars to the city.

“It’s a great opportunity for us smaller hotels to go in and bid on something that we typically wouldn’t be able to bid on,” said Holiday Inn Express general manager Brendan Genther.

A group of hotels that would not have enough meeting space for a conference on their own can offer to house attendees at CenterPlace, he said.