At a loss? Fate of farmers market, schools at stake with U-Heights' future

The University District is in danger of losing its farmers market - not to mention other programs that use the University Heights Community Center.

The University District Farmers Market has taken place every Saturday for years on the premises of the vintage, wooden building, currently a surplus property of Seattle Public Schools. However, due to a financial crisis within the school district, University Heights and the district's other surplus properties may soon be subject to rising rent costs, which would essentially force the tenants of University Heights to be evicted.

On Nov. 2, community members and stakeholders concerned about the future of University Heights met at the center to discuss options for keeping the building. University Heights' current lease expires Nov. 8, 2008, which provides the center with an opportunity that has not arisen before: the chance for the city to either purchase the center, or to make sure the center can be assured a 100-year lease with below-market rate rents.

For the last 16 years, the University Heights Center has been a central hub. In addition to housing the farmers market, University Heights provides space to day cares, performance groups, schools and business meetings.

Last year, the Friends of University Heights group formed to broaden community support for the center. According to research done by the organization that was presented at the meeting, the University District Farmers Market is the largest market in the state, with about 95,000 shoppers yearly. It currently serves as the primary source of income for about 100 farmers, and 4,000 acres of farmland are actively cultivated specifically for this market.

The farmers market also gives back to the community: The merchants of the market donate more than 7 tons of food a year to charities, and the merchants redeem WIC food coupons and seniors' Farmers Market Nutritional Program checks, according to market officials.

The day care and after-school programs housed in the center serve 85 children daily, a quarter of them low-income.

Also in the center is the Broadway Bound Children's Theatre, which serves about 1,350 kids each year, and a defensive-driving school, with anywhere from 150 to 200 pupils.

The Northwest Choir uses the premises for its 200 members to rehearse, and the private Puget Sound Community School, with 35 students, uses the building's classrooms.

A collaborative effort

Between 1995 and 1999 an extensive amount of work and neighborhood planning was done in the U-District, and the center was named the "most critical element" in the U-District's neighborhood plan, living up to its motto, "Old Schools Still Teach."

All of this could be lost if the center is forced to pay market-rate rents, stakeholders say.

The Friends of University Heights, the Cascade Land Conservancy and Seattle Parks and Recreation have teamed up in an effort to convince the City of Seattle that University Heights is a valuable asset to the community and worth purchasing so it can continue its functions as a community center.

Currently, the City Council is considering allocating $2.5 million of the general subfund in 2008 and $18 million in the Opportunity Fund for the acquisition of the University Heights Center.

In addition to this, the mayor recently suggested putting extra money in the budget for the school district's surplus properties, a proposed $100,000.

University Heights Center and property was recently appraised at $5.6 million, and the school district has shown interest in selling, said University Heights director Richard Sorenson.

"There's a lot of competition for city dollars," he said.

Next meeting

Community members are encouraged to attend the next meeting at University Heights, on Nov. 29, to learn more what they can do to help and to hear more specific recommendations by the organization.

"We need to make sure we are all going in the same direction," said Chip Nevins, King County senior conservation director.

Sorenson stressed that the most important thing people can do to help is to write to City Council members to encourage them to allocate funds to buy University Heights.