Frederick residents called for a dedicated computer lab to be included in the plans for the Westside Community Center as the city announced its designs Thursday night.
The community center is part of the larger Westside Regional Park, a 136-acre project being developed on the Hargett Farm property along Butterfly Lane. The center itself is planned to span 24,000 sqr ft and has a $10 million dollar budget.
At the meeting, Scott Knudson, founder of Knu Design, presented updated schematics for the community center. The project features a gymnasium outfitted for basketball, pickleball, futsal -an alternative to soccer- and a portable stage for large gatherings.
The center will also include child care facilities, community spaces and several classrooms that can be combined through removable wall partitions. A kitchen space will be present, but Knudson clarified it will not contain a stove or oven at this time.
Technology Inequity
Residents called for one of the classrooms to be transformed into a dedicated computer lab to provide nearby families a closed and quiet space to access the internet.
Ken Oldham, CEO of United Way of Frederick County, wants the center to use the space to hold technology literacy classes. He says many families in the area don’t have equitable acces to computers. “Two years ago, we distributed 5,500 chrome books throughout Frederick County and we took that opportunity to collect data,” Oldham explained. “The most surprising element was that 82% of those who received chrome books did not have a computer at home.”
While many of the people that were polled had smart phones, Oldham said they lacked key knowledge of how to use computers.
The west side of the city is diverse, Oldham pointed out, but also has one of the highest concentrations of ALICE households in the entire county. ALICE stands for access limited, income constrained but employed.
ALICE households live above the national poverty level but still can’t afford to make ends meet due to factors like cost of living, housing, child care and transportation.
Knudson said the rooms contain the necessary storage space to include computer equipment.
Community Outreach
The city has taken several poles from residents to gather design information for the shape, look and function of the community center.
Residents wanted to see coordinated bus routes to and from the center, which Knudson reported the county has agreed too. The possibility for an on-call bus stop is currently being discussed.
Due to community feedback, the gymnasium and classroom spaces will not share a wall in order to account for noise levels. Knudson outlined that polls show the community wants a building that fits within the natural beauty fostered by the city while also serving as a modern building.
A further expansion to the center is already planned with Knudson estimating the current project will be ready to open by 2028. The next step for the project will be to finalize designs and present them to the city council in the coming months.
