In response to Meg Lippert’s letter (MIR 7/1/15), there is a long precedent of municipalities partnering with charitable non-profit organizations for the enrichment of the whole community.  What is worrisome is the implication that the people working to create the Mercer Island Center for the Arts somehow want to destroy Mercerdale Park.

This makes no sense.

The beauty and usability of Mercerdale is central to the success of MICA.  It is a treasure and a focal point. It’s where we’ll stage outdoor performances and where our audiences can sit and stroll and relax. Under the guidance of our lead architect, Mercer Island native and resident Lesley Bain, we have brought in one of the finest landscape architects in the country (Olin) to enhance the attractiveness and sustainability of the park surrounding MICA in a way it has never been before. We have taken particular care that the footprint of the building remains well outside of the walking path that encircles the lawn—what most Islanders consider to be Mercerdale Park. The eyesore of the derelict recycling center will become a center of community pride and activity at no cost to the schools. The hillside will be stabilized, the water runoff managed, and the trails and stairs improved in the woods behind.

She and others have suggested the possibility of MICA being located a block north on the site of the former Hines development, now that Hines has withdrawn. That would indeed be an excellent site, except for the expense. To acquire the property from the current owners (who rightfully expect full commercial rates) and to build the underground parking that has been proposed (at more than $60,000 a stall) would at least double the cost of the project. I see no feasible way to accomplish that.

MICA was born of a pressing need. Youth Theatre Northwest desperately needs a permanent home for the thousands of children it serves. Beyond YTN, our art, music, and dance classes and recitals would have a cultural focal point to call home. And we can have a beautiful venue for visiting plays, artists, musicians, dancers, cultural presentations, lectures and art exhibits in the heart of our community. We have carefully calibrated the size and scope of MICA based on actual tenants and their needs. As a result, the facility is 70 percent booked before it is even built, and its operating pro forma is robust. Compared to similar facilities in Kirkland, Edmonds, and Issaquah, it is intimate and modest in size.

MICA will serve Islanders of all ages. It will provide the artistic challenges and rigor so essential to the cognitive development of our children. It will provide seniors with stimulating creative outlets and camaraderie. And all of our residents will enjoy high quality entertainment here, in our own Town Center, without having to leave the island. It will be transformative to the economic activity of the Town Center, encouraging new businesses and restaurants and supporting our existing merchants. MICA will also be in close partnership with the Farmer’s Market, providing storage, sinks, and public restrooms.

MICA came from the citizens of Mercer Island. An extraordinary group of accomplished and civic-minded Islanders have come forward to give of their time and money to make this happen.  Many of them have lived on the island for decades and have long histories of local volunteerism and philanthropy in our community. They are leaders in their fields of arts, media, business, law, finance, technology, real estate, and construction. They are driven solely by their love of the arts, of education, and of this community. They have achieved exceptional progress in a remarkably short time. MICA will be largely funded through private donations as a gift to the people of Mercer Island. It will enhance our community for generations. Please join us and be a part of this legacy.

For more, go to mercerislandarts.org.

John Gordon Hill

President, Mercer Island Center for the Arts