KCR building itself a new home

Kitsap Community Resources, which attends to the needs of low-income people on several levels, plans to increase its countywide efficacy through the construction of a new building in downtown Bremerton.

“This new building will go a long way to increase self-esteem,” said project director Mike Botkin, who just finalized the plan for the three-story, 22,000-square-foot structure. “If you work in facilities that are not up to par, it doesn’t help the staff or the clients. This is a professional place to meet and to do business.”

Currently, KCR operates out of five buildings, only one of which it owns. The agency plans to move the four functions — administration, training, women and infant services and a commercial kitchen — into the new building, consolidating its activities.

Botkin said the building was designed with all these functions in mind.

Further, it will be a certified “green” building due to its recoverable resources in five areas — site location, water efficiency, energy, materials and indoor environmental quality.

Botkin said the only other such building in the county is Islandwood, on Bainbridge Island.

Currently the KCF offers programs throughout the county, with facilities in Port Orchard, Silverdale, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island. While programs like HeadStart will stay put, many functions will relocate to the new building.

Botkin said he didn’t think people would mind traveling to receive the services.

Aside from increasing the efficiency of the agency, the building is expected to enhance the downtown landscape. It is to be located on the southeast corner of Warren Avenue and Eighth Street, but the entire block — south to Seventh Street and east to Park Street — will be open for development. It is now mostly a parking lot.

Botkin believes the site is suitable for a mixed-use facility, noting that it will provide a transition from the busy downtown commercial area and residential neighborhoods.

“This building will provide an important part of the revitalization and redevelopment of the neighborhood,” Botkin said.

He compared the structure to a college, with a floor of classrooms above a floor of offices.

The most dramatic improvement will be the agency’s kitchen, which has been located in the Westpark neighborhood since 1979. This program prepares meals for delivery to shut-ins as well as senior citizens, who travel to one of several locations to share food and socialize with others.

Nutritious meals are also provided for the various county HeadStart programs.

The service, like everything under the KCR umbrella, is intended to support those whose income falls below the poverty line.

KCR Executive Director Larry Eyer estimated that 22,000 county residents qualify. He said the largest concentrations are in Bremerton and South Kitsap, but there are many scattered throughout all parts of the county.

Eyer said the number of people on public assistance has decreased to 1,000 from 3,500 over the past six years, while the number of those living under the poverty line is about the same.

He said the highest concentration of low-income workers were single mothers with kids working one or more low-wage jobs. Such jobs aren’t hard to find in Kitsap County, but they often lack medical coverage and other benefits. Further, a mother who works two jobs must budget additional funds for childcare.

Eyer, who describes KCR as “a private nonprofit that provides resources to low-income people to help to improve their self-sufficiency,” said the new building is essential for the agency’s growth.

“It will ensure that the services we provide can continue,” he said. “Our other locations are at risk.”

The four buildings currently housing these services are leased and subject to the whims of landlords, property values and general unsuitability.

Project details were announced this week at a press conference featuring U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and several other local legislators.

This included an announcement of an array of grants that will cover the building’s $6 million cost. They include $500,000 in federal money, $450,000 from the city of Bremerton, $500,000 from Kitsap County and $1 million from the Washington Community Service Facilities.

Additional funds come from a capital campaign, a $2.4 million mortgage and $150,000 in cash reserves.

Some site preparation has already occurred. The building is scheduled for a June 2006 groundbreaking and is expected to take about a year to complete.

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