Moses Lake Civic Center opens to public praise

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake Civic Center opened its doors to hundreds of citizens who helped dedicate and celebrate the new public building.

The $7.9 million structure, started last June, includes office space for city staff, larger council chambers, a 3,800 square foot auditorium and a 10,500 square foot home for the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center (MAC).

The November grand opening coincided with the MAC's annual holiday show, which featured about 70 works from artists Jan Cook Mack, Nik Penny and Lance Dooley.

Guitarist Steven King and the swing band Hot Club played throughout the evening as attendees browsed a silent auction and the MAC Holiday Store. Children's arts, crafts and entertainment were also on offer.

During a dedication ceremony, Moses Lake Mayor Jon Lane and others thanked former Moses Lake Mayor Ron Covey for spearheading the early stages of the project.

"We had a ground breaking about a year and a half ago and to me it's just amazing that we're standing in this wonderful facility, that so much has happened between then and now," Lane said. "I really think this will be a facility that will stand the test of time and it's going to be something that will be a great community attraction."

More than half of the building is dedicated as public space, Lane said, praising the fact that a new council chambers was designed with a glass wall, symbolizing an invitation to public participation.

"Many council chambers in this day and age are building bars and extra security while Moses Lake is building glass windows that open up to the outside," he said. "How tremendous."

Bob Hull, a Moses Lake native who helped design the facility with Miller Hull Architects of Seattle, thanked past and present city leaders for the opportunity to participate in the project.

"Thank you Moses Lake, and I mean that from the time I was born here," he said. "It takes a real team not only on our side, but also the people with vision on your side to create a building like this."

Hull outlined some of the facility's merits, including its green design, multi-use capacity and adjacent city park space.

The Civic Center's auditorium, which held about 175 people during the dedication ceremony, wasn't in the original plan, but Hull said it was requested by city council members who desired a space for people to come together.

Parks and Recreation Commission vice chair Brent Kirwan said the Civic Center stands tall among several community projects completed by the city over the years.

"I know this amazing building will serve generations of Moses Lake families to come, and all because a group of individuals working together had a vision," he said.

From allowing more space for city staff to providing a permanent home for the MAC, the building is a "win-win" for everyone in Moses Lake, said Moses Lake Tourism Commission chair Brenda Teals.

Teals said it's a measure of the city and its people that, even while other municipalities are closing museums and other public spaces, Moses Lake is dedicating a brand new facility.

"This building is an absolute showcase for what a modest city can do when its citizens and its local officials work together," Teals said. "This is a palace, a people's palace. And we are proud of it."