Daily World staff
A trio of public meetings have been scheduled for early in November, December and January to solicit feedback from the public for the design of the proposed Gateway Center project in Aberdeen.
The City of Aberdeen envisions the center as a public-private partnership to be located near Wishkah Street just west of the Wishkah River Bridge, serving as a visitor center for tourists and an “enterprise” center to house economic development organizations such as Greater Grays Harbor Inc. It would also include community space that can be used for a variety of private and public events.
The city is counting on state grant funding to pay for most of the project, which will be located on property at the northeast corner of Wishkah and F streets, now occupied by a former furniture store building and the closed Pourhouse Tavern.
The meetings will be conducted by Coates Design Architects, a Bainbridge Island architectural firm that has been retained to develop initial design ideas for the appearance of the center. The money to hire Coates came from a state grant, but the scope of work doesn’t include the full blown architecture and engineering for the project.
The first meeting is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Rotary Log Pavilion.
The city is looking for feedback from citizens. Architects will lead attendees through interactive exercises to better understand what the community wants in the design of the final building.
“We want everyone in Grays Harbor to know that their input is vital to the final look and feel of this building,” Matthew Coates, principal of the architecture firm said. “This is going to be the building that everyone entering the Harbor sees, and we want it to be one that the entire community can be proud of.”
“We have a lot of experience with high-profile community projects like this,” Coates said. “One thing we know for sure is that our design can only be successful if the process is transparent, and we hear from as many people as possible.”
The firm designed the Island Gateway development, which houses the Bainbridge Island Art Museum and Kids Discovery Museum along with retail space, performing spaces and underground parking.
“This project is a tremendous economic development opportunity for the community,” said Dru Garson, CEO of Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. “Because multiple agencies and organizations will be in one place, they will all be well-connected to the community, allowing them to be more responsive and work in sync to encourage additional investment in our region.”
“This project is truly an investment in our entire community,” said Aberdeen Mayor Erik Larson. “It’s about much more than the downtown core — it’s a gateway not only to the diverse areas of our beautiful corner of the state but also to real opportunity for our county.”
Followup meetings will be held on Dec. 1 and Jan. 5, also at the Log Pavilion. The January meeting will present final design plans. Those unable to attend meetings can submit ideas via the contact page at www.graysharborgateway.com.
