Silver Spring’s planned transit center isn’t the only downtown project hurting for money.
The area’s controversial civic center needs $2.5 million to put it over the top, regional director Gary Stith told Silver Spring’s urban-district advisory committee Thursday.
“We’re ready to move forward,” Stith assured the committee. “It will happen.”
Construction on the building and its adjacent Veterans Plaza was supposed to start earlier this year on Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive. But last year’s unforeseen slugfest between proponents of the plaza’s planned ice rink, and those who grew to love the site’s temporary artificial turf, put a kink in the construction schedule and added to its costs, Stith explained.
Before anyone sticks a shovel in the ground, reps for MoCo exec Ike Leggett must score the extra cash from the county council. A public hearing on the appropriation is scheduled for July 15, while the construction company’s $21 million bid for the job expires July 17, Stith said.
“Given the [county] budget’s tightness, it could be a hot potato, with a revisiting of the rink and the green space,” warned Jon Lourie, the committee’s chairperson-elect.
If grass-versus-rink replays itself, then the construction bid goes down the drain, Stith said. And shaving off some of the project’s elements — like the ice rink’s $4 million roof — would create costly delays, he added.
“It’s like starting all over again,” Stith told the committee.
Committee member Pete Esker also worried that the civic center project would become a whipping boy to the transit center, which is $16.7 million over its budget. However, both appropriations were sent to the county council as separate deals.
A party celebrating the Turf’s demise is planned for the end of July, Stith said.
Updated Jun 25, 2008, at 10:45 p.m.
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How typical of the Montgomery County government to blame the turf huggers for delaying construction of the Civic Center.
Just get rid of the ice skating rink already. Nothing against ice skating per say it’s just that we don’t exactly live in a wintery climate. The use of the ice skating rink canopy as a performance stage makes no sence at all because the portico of the Civic Center (as stage) along with the Veteran’s Plaza (as seating) are much better suited for that function, along with being right there. There should be some trees mirroring the Ellsworth edge tree promenade with some grass in the middle and there would be your savings. If one insisted on the rink, we should take a que from the Sculpture Garden on the Mall which has a large fountain at the center for most of the year which is converted to a rink during the winter. As hot as it gets, a fountain at the center of the space would guarantee Veterans Plaza’s success, along with reinforcing Silver Spring’s image.
Yeah, I’d like to see a water element, too. Certainly something that one can splash around in.
The fountain is a good idea, along with sculptures and similar works of art. Also, please let’s get some benches there. It’s ridiculous that people need to either stand or sit on the turf (where I saw a dog pee not to long ago), not to mention unfair to the elderly or people who have a tough time sitting on the ground.
I admit that I feel in love with the public squares I visited in Europe; I’d love to see a version of those beautiful spaces here in Silver Spring.
I like the idea of a fountain.It would do well there. 4 million dollars for the rink roof is outrageous. Hasn’t any of the local politicians questioned this cost? I bet we can score a nice fountain for $4 million dollars and use the rest of the $17 million dollars on the transit center. The ice rink will be a complete failure.
Excuse me? it would add to cost to cancel the ice rink with it’s $4 million roof? what are the costs of a green space and its maintainence in comparison to construction and maintenance of an ice rink. My guess is a green space is not only more friendly to the environment and gives more months of usability — it is also less expensive to maintain? Less energy usage for example. At least if its planned right.
Editor’s note: Just to clarify, the cost of construction increases with delays. That includes any delays that may occur if the ice rink or its roof go back to the drawing board. — JD (Jun 29, 2008)