The runners are coming | The Seahawks 12K run is Sunday [16]
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Family fun | An arcade will open soon on South Third Street that will features games for all ages. [8]
NEWSLINE: 425.255.3484 FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013
Latest design for Cedar River library shows larger space dradford@rentonreporter.com
The King County Library System presented to the Renton City Council Monday night a concept for a new downtown library that’s slightly smaller than the current one, an idea that was generally well-received by council members and the audience. The new design is 19,500 square feet, about 13 percent smaller than the existing Cedar River library’s 22,400 square feet. The larger library would cost about $1.5 million more than what’s currently budgeted for the new downtown library. City administrators will have ideas for how the City Council could pay for the difference at its April 29 meeting. KCLS architects went back to
The latest design for the Renton library over the Cedar River now has 19,500 square feet and a new entryway still next to the parking lot that will have a small plaza. The library will still retain its basic silhouette but will feature an open airy interior. King County Library System.
the drawing board after a contentious March 26 open house at the library at which the audience objected to a concept for a 15,400-square-foot library that fits
within the $8.9 million budget. The large crowd at the open house also was adament that KCLS not move the main entryway into the library, which is at
the center of the walking bridge that spans the Cedar. The design presented Monday retains the new entryway at the southeast corner of the library,
Center of Hope taking shape Renton churches renovating former city jail for day center for women, children in city By TRACEY COMPTON tcompton@rentonreporter.com
Renovation work is under way on a new women and children’s day center in the former jail at Renton City Hall. Walls are being knocked down, jail bars and heavy doors removed and lots of painting is planned to convert the space into the REACH Center of Hope. REACH – Renton Ecumenical Association of Churches – has contracted with the City of Renton to provide the day center shelter for three years. The space is being renovated to host about six families, who will be transported to area churches to stay overnight. The Center of Hope plans to host about 100 families a year. Monday morning it was high-fives and astonished remarks as REACH team members surveyed the space with the contractor Justin
Elders Bradley Burgess and Jonathan Elledge of a local Mormon church, helped out at women and children’s shelter in City Hall. tracey compton, Renton Reporter
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Jensen. He’s hard at work with his crew getting rid of furniture and fixtures that belonged to the jail. A new entry is being created, along with bathrooms and new fire and safety equipment will be installed. The rooms will be outfitted with electric plug-ins. The Renton Police Department will still have some operations in the basement, but two facilities will be separated and have different entrances. Jensen has been discussing his ideas for how to make the center feel less institutional with Maggie Breen, REACH chair. “We’re still working toward the 6th,” said Breen of opening day in May. “It may be pushed out to a couple of weeks, but we’re ready to go.” She toured the facility with Rev. Linda Smith, center director. “This will stabilize people so they can get housing quicker,” said Smith. “People will be given as much time as they need.” “This is really looking good,” she said, giving Breen a high-five. Youth volunteers from the Renton Stake, [ more shelter page 2]
but proposes creating a small plaza to help improve visibility between the door and the parking lot. Before revealing the new designs, Ruth Baleiko of architectural firm Miller Hull, which is designing the downtown library for KCLS, briefed the council’s Committee of the Whole and the audience on the process to get the library to this point. The audience had a chance to weigh in on the new schematic drawings at the regular council meeting. “It’s the first sign they are listening to us,” said Dave Beedon, who added there’s still room for improvement with the plan. But others continued to question the need to move the entryway from its central position on [ more library page 10 ]
Cascade snow slows search for local dentist By DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com
High avalanche danger in the Cascades midweek postponed the search for Renton dentist Dr. Mitch Hungate, an avid outdoorsman missing in an avalanche Saturday near Snoqualmie Pass. Hungate, 61, lives in the Lake Tapps area. He practices with Dr. Derick Hahn at their office on Southwest Grady Way. On the practice’s website, [ more dentist page 4 ]
206-949-1696 info@marciemaxwell.com 759558
By DEAN A. RADFORD