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Kent wins SI Sportstown Honor for Washington

By Andrew Schulman

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Situated in the heart of a region -- between Seattle and Tacoma -– that has become known for its Internet and technology triumphs, the city of Kent, Wash., and its Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department took a page from local businessmen Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos as it developed a successful recreation program. Because of its accomplishments, Kent has earned Sports Illustrated Sportstown honors for Washington.

Like Gates, the Kent Parks Department staff believes innovation is one of the keys to success. Along those lines, the Department has taken a novel approach to developing new facilities and has recently created public-private partnerships to help build and/or operate three local venues:

The Kent Valley Ice Centre, which features an NHL-regulation ice surface and hosts youth and adult hockey leagues as well as figure skating, was built by a private developer who leases the land from the city.

The Kent-Meridian Pool, whose operation was taken over by Kent after the county made plans to close it, is now run by Aquatic Management. The organization has been able to offer residents swim and exercise lessons as well as free swim time at a pool that operates at a small profit with only a small contribution from the city.

And the Riverbend Golf Complex, which now includes one of the city’s best restaurants. As local organizers were upgrading the facility, they struck a deal with a private concessionaire to build and operate the Fire Creek Grill. The restaurant was mostly funded with private money and the city receives five percent of the establishment’s gross receipts.

The Department also has a long-standing reciprocal-use agreement with the local school district to share facilities at no cost to either party, giving the city’s residents even more chances to take advantage of its offerings.

“Our people have worked tirelessly to make these facilities a success, but you can’t stand alone and just do programs anymore,” said John Hodgson, Kent Parks Director. “In this day and age, you need partners and to look for new ways to get things done.”

That’s not to say that Kent doesn’t devote time and energy to developing its recreation offerings. Much like Bezos’ Internet superstore Amazon.com, which once claimed to offer “the largest selection on Earth,” the Kent Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of sports and recreation programs for all its residents.

“Programming is the meat and potatoes of Kent Recreation,” said Lori Hogan, Kent Recreation & Cultural Services Superintendent. “We’re always assessing our offerings to ensure they match the needs of our community.”

To that end, the Kent Parks and Recreation Department organizes between 500-600 sports teams for children from pre-school age to junior high annually, and features a variety of sports and recreation activities for adults as well. Some of the more unusual offerings include grappling, belly dancing, chum salmon fly fishing and “Mommy n’ Me” pre-ballet classes. Recently, to meet greater demand, sports such as field hockey and lacrosse were added and the number of soccer leagues was increased.

Kent’s first-class programming and top-notch facilities have made the city’s Parks and Recreation Department the Pacific Northwest’s latest success story -- but this one isn’t measured by bytes or revenues. Its accomplishments are evidenced by the thousands of residents who take part in the Department’s programs every year.


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