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A $25.9 million building permit is under review for a seismic retrofit and expansion of Mt. Scott Community Center in Southeast Portland.

Project plans call for demolition of 20,000 square feet of the existing building at 5516 S.E. 72nd Ave., renovation of the remaining space, and addition of approximately 31,000 square feet. Areas to be demolished include the original bathhouse, auditorium, offices, and fitness areas. The pool, gym and roller rink will remain. No park development is proposed.

The addition will create expanded preschool space, multipurpose classrooms, a teen center, an event center, a fitness/aerobic studio, and administration and support spaces. The existing surface parking area with frontage on 73rd Avenue will be replaced with a new 30-space parking area and a large loading space.

FFA Architecture and Interiors is leading the design for the Portland Parks & Recreation project. Vega Civil Engineering is the civil engineer.

The community center, which occupies the north portion of Mt. Scott Park, consists of linked buildings dating from the 1920s through the 1990s, according to the project’s website. Most of the facility was built before the 1960s and has been labeled by the city as unreinforced masonry. The project will bring the center to seismic compliance, improve ADA accessibility, and expand recreational programming.

Land use approval was granted for the project in early February. The project team has submitted development and construction documentation for permits; currently it’s working on city council documents for authorization to bid.

Portland Parks & Recreation expects to seek bids for construction this summer, public information officer Mark Ross stated in an email. The bidding window is likely to remain open for four or five weeks.

The current construction cost estimate for the full renovation is $28.2 million. Funding will come from PP&R System Development Charges (SDCs) and the Build Portland initiative.

Construction is estimated to begin in late fall or early winter this year and finish in fall 2025. Full vacation of the community center will be required about three weeks before the start of construction, Ross stated.