Central Area Celebrates Opening Of Garfield Community Center

The Garfield Community Center, in the heart of Seattle's Central Area, is the first of a new generation of centers built with the involvement of the local community, city leaders said at its dedication yesterday.

"We decided our communities need the same kind of gathering place for them as Seattle Center is for the whole city," said Mayor Norm Rice. "It's a sense of reaching out to individuals, a sense of collectiveness."

Seattle Parks Superintendent Holly Miller said the center is "the start of a new era based on the community, clergy and businesses being partners together so all the community is served: mind, body and spirit."

The center is one of five new community centers being built with the proceeds of an $18 million levy passed by voters in 1991. The other centers to be replaced are Meadowbrook, Bitter Lake, Delridge and Rainier.

The Garfield center is on the corner of 23rd Avenue and East Cherry Street - and on the cutting edge of innovative design.

There are tiles made of recycled bottles and carpet made of shredded clothing.

The ballroom is lined with windows, and the 19,200-square-foot building is roomy enough for a gymnasium built for the noisy and a computer room designed for the quiet.

It also features art in the form of African-deity statues, as well as benches and steps created by Northwest artists and decorated by local youths using recycled aluminum cans.

Miller/Hull Partnership was the architect.

Yesterday, grand-opening festivities for the $3.1 million facility included not only upbeat speeches by Rice and other dignitaries but also the "The Little Dogs" children's dance group in purple T-shirts and "combat" boots.

Youth and adult education, and recreation, parenting workshops, life-skills seminars and day camps will be offered starting in November.

"I will definitely use this place," said Clifford Jenkins, 16, supervisor of the lobby espresso cart. He expects to play basketball there. Jenkins thinks the community will treasure the new facility.

"There's certain things you have respect for. Everybody's been waiting for it," he said. "There's people working here that you respect, so you have to respect their environment. It's like your home. You wouldn't trash your home."