The Salvation Army - Kroc Community Center

Heery provided assistance to the Long Beach Corps of the Salvation Army in preparing a Development Application resulting in the award of nearly $80M in Joan Kroc grant funding. The general scope of services included performing a community needs assessment, market analysis, stakeholders interviews, conceptual site and building planning, construction cost estimating, and other supporting materials.

The design solution provides building areas organized into three primary structures according to their primary functional activities: Chapel/Auditorium at south end of site closest to Pacific Coast Highway, Education/Administration in center of complex, and Recreation to north.  The primary facility entrance will face a large vehicular arrival plaza, with centralized security check-in for all patrons entering on foot, by drop-off, by shuttle, or from unsecured parking.

The Chapel is sited to allow either direct public or internal access from central reception / security.  Access to other building areas from the Chapel must pass through the central control Lobby.

The first floor of the Education/Administration Building will include a Large Multi-Purpose Room and Daycare with direct access from the arrival lobby, on the direct route to recreation areas enhancing the ease of family participation.  The second floor will contain Classrooms, a Library, and Computer Lab, with circulation areas overlooking the Lobby and Rock Climbing Wall below.  The Third Floor contains additional Classrooms, as well as all Kroc Center administrative offices and support areas.

A central circulation spine through the recreation building will provide access to all major spaces, including the Gymnasium, Large and Medium Group Exercise Rooms, Locker Rooms, Weight Room, Rock-Climbing Wall, and Indoor Therapy Pool.  The east side of the Recreation Building contains all spaces associated with the outdoor pool complex, accessible via a central fixed bleacher area or flanking pedestrian ramps.
 
To the north of the Recreation Building, an outdoor 750-seat Amphitheater is built into the slope between the street level and the lower field areas.  The Amphitheater faces northeast, and is oriented toward the midpoint of the site’s major outdoor recreation space, which will be primarily used as a soccer field.  Surrounding this field area, pedestrian paths are organized in a looped walking trail and provide access to other active and passive recreation areas.  These areas can also be accessed from the pool complex and lower parking areas.