Around 100 people from the Wallingford community met at St. Benedict School on October 1 to discuss criteria for a proposed community center in the neighborhood.

The attendees broke up into small groups, trading suggestions regarding the location of and activities available at the center.

“One of the things that came up would be that it would be a good idea to have it in south Wallingford so it could serve Wallingford and Fremont,” Wallingford Community Council President Mary Heim said.

Heim said that the center will not be affiliated with Seattle Parks and Recreation, unlike Ravenna-Eckstein and Greenlake Community Centers. This means that programs and activities will emerge from the ground up, based on the types of things neighbors want to learn.

The project steering committee is comprised of twelve members, including representatives from three schools, the Wallingford Boys and Girls Club, and Weaving Wallingford. Jake Weber, director of FamilyWorks Resource Center and Food Bank, is the chair. The committee received significant funding from the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce, Community Senior Center, Neighborhood Office, and Community Council, as well as a $15,000 grant from the Department of Neighborhoods.

“The way the Department of Neighborhoods grant works is that volunteer hours count as a dollar match,” Heim said. “For every hour people go to meetings and volunteer, there’s a certain amount of money that will be matched as a grant. Part of the focus is bringing people together.”

The steering committee has not decided on a name for the center.

“I like the Hyphy Hangout,” Heim said, “but I have no idea. I think it could probably be named anything. If there’s some sugar daddy or sugar mommy who comes in and donates a million dollars, it could be the Bill Gates Community Center or the Jimi Hendrix Community Center.”

According to one of the documents on the community center website, the area centered at 45th and Wallingford is one of the most underserved areas in the city. The distance to the nearest community center is simply too far.

Garfield senior Fred Ness, one of several Garfield students who reside in Wallingford, gave the center his stamp of approval.

“I’ve been a part of the Wallingford community for a long time and I’ve seen the changes that have been happening,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to having a community center.”

Unfortunately, Heim estimated that the community center won’t open for five or six more years; Ness won’t be able to hang out there until after college.