City officials hastened to assure the public Friday that programs will continue as scheduled at the Tice Valley Gymnasium, adjacent to the Contra Costa Jewish Community Center, which was closing Friday.
The city holds a 99-year lease for the gym site, which is sometimes confused with the adjacent center because it shares some architectural features and JCC members use the gym.
"We were sorry to learn of the Jewish Community Center's sudden closure," said City Manager Ken Nordhoff. "They have been a valuable community partner. We want to assure our community members who use the Tice Valley Gymnasium for sports, classes and rentals that these city services are not affected by the JCC closure and will remain available to the public.”
You can see programs offered at the gym on the city's website.
JCC administration has not returned Walnut Creek calls seeking comment about the abrupt closure. The JCC website seems to business as usual, too, asking members to save the data for the center's gala on Feb. 18.
Meeting with Jewish Federation CEO
JCC administrators were meeting Friday morning with James Brandt, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of the East Bay. The federation wants "to provide resources to CCJCC families, as well as the emotional support needed at this time," Brandt stated in an email to families that was included with the publication Jweekly.
Brandt also stated, "the CCJCC, formerly a Federation agency, became self-incorporated in early 2010 at the recommendation of its staff and lay leadership and has since been an independent organization. The decision to close the facility and its programming was proposed and adopted by the CCJCC board."
The JCC was looking at developing some land by the center for a condominium complex in 2008. The complex was never started. Here's a message from the "Your Rossmoor" chat board in opposition to that condo proposal.
