The first renderings of the new Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center are ready, announced BI architect Charlie Wenzlau at the Aug. 13 city council meeting, and the building will see major changes.

What is currently a relatively small building with a thrift store and a few event rooms tucked into Waterfront Park will become a two-story building with a library, a cafe, several outdoor terraces, a game room, a 30-car parking garage and several multipurpose rooms.

“This facility is much more than a senior center; it’s going to be a community center, and serve a very broad spectrum of folks,” said Wenzlau.

While the city owns the structure and is responsible for its long-term care and maintenance, it’s up to the senior center to raise the funds to revamp the building, explained city manager Blair King. In an effort to attract donors, BISCC has begun offering naming rights to rooms within the building for larger gifts, added Reed Price, director of the senior center.

Once completed, BISCC’s new building will expand both major entry points to the community center and will raise the north-facing entrance of the building flush with Bjune Drive SE. The south entrance of the building, off Brien Drive SE, will keep the thrift store and a community hub, but will add access to the parking garage.

From Bjune Dr., visitors can enter the building from the plaza and get to most of the BISCC’s new amenities: the cafe, multipurpose hall, library, social services and other offices, restrooms and game room are all on the second floor. At the back of the second floor, there’s a viewing terrace of Eagle Harbor, with a landscaped green roof.

“You’ll actually be able to have a really nice connection from town to water,” said Wenzlau.

Most councilmembers were excited to see the first looks at the building, and were looking forward to the updates. BI Mayor Ashley Mathews expressed her gratitude for the BISCC’s ability to bring people out of their shells.

“The outside, the plans, the landscaping, everything I’m seeing is unbelievably beautiful, but the value and the magic is on the inside,” said Mathews.

However, Mathews and Councilmember Joe Deets noticed two elements in the plan that were conspicuously absent. For one, the clock tower from the old police station at 625 Winslow Way was not captured in the rendering, observed Deets. Wenzlau assured Deets that the clock was not forgotten: “We’re going to find a spot for it.”

Second, both Mathews and Deets were curious about whether the new structure could facilitate a laundry room. Liveaboards, or people who live on a boat moored at the city’s marina, do not have access to a laundry facility, they pointed out, and the senior center would be an ideal place to host such an amenity.

The rooftop terrace, facing south.

Wenzlau Architects courtesy photos The library, facing east.