A New Boathouse for Sammamish Rowing!

Sammamish Rowing Association is building a new boathouse! A years-long permitting process came to an exciting conclusion this summer. SRA received its final permit for construction in June 2010 and broke ground for the new structure in August. After years of waiting and hoping, SRA rowers were amazed to see the sudden and dramatic changes to the property. Construction crews and equipment quickly moved in to clear and prepare the site, lay in utilities, and protect our surrounding wetlands. Our new boathouse is becoming a reality at last!

Links:

Construction schedule
New boathouse design
Why build a new boathouse?
Paying for the project
Architects
Capital campaign
Impact on the wetlands
How you can help
Frequently-asked questions

Construction schedule

Site preparation for the new boathouse is currently underway, along with efforts to protect the surrounding wetlands. The goal, depending on the success of our fund-raising efforts, is to move in to our new home sometime in 2012. The projected dates below are subject to change, depending on funding.

Phase I: July 2010-March 2011: COMPLETED

• Prepare site, lay in utilities, mitigate changes to wetlands (protect fragile areas, remove invasive plants, replant with native species- ongoing).

Phase II: November 2010-March 2011: COMPLETED

• Add two-way turn lane on West Lake Sammamish Parkway.  Involves widening (paving) and striping the road.
• Connect water, electricity and sewer to the main lines under West Lake Samm
• Install conduits for phone cable and fiber opitc cable.
• Complete work in parking lots.  Includes grading, paving and re-designing parking lot access road.

New boathouse design

At 12,000 square feet, the new, two-story facility will be four times larger than SRA’s current boathouse. The sleek, modern design will feature an exterior clad in contrasting metal siding, as well as numerous windows throughout to create a light and airy feel. Visitors will enter through richly detailed wooden doors, evoking the beauty of old wooden boats, and will step into a lobby enhanced by a trophy case and donors’ wall.

Ground floor

The ground floor will house three boat bays, with ample room for rowing shells of all sizes. The boat bays will be generously proportioned to allow rowers carrying multiple boats to pass one another without snagging riggers or scraping shells. The bays will be long enough to allow two fours to be stored end to end. Storage capacity for SRA-owned shells will increase dramatically over our current boathouse. Additionally, the new boathouse will include numerous racks for private shells, significantly expanding SRA’s private-boat storage capacity.

The boat bay area will include oar racks, cox box storage, and a sculling station. In addition, the ground floor will contain a shop for repair and maintenance work, a large storage closet, a restroom, and a laundry area with washer and dryer. An exterior staircase will fan out at the bottom, providing an outdoor location for coaches to meet with their teams.

Second floor

The hallmark of the second floor will be the great room. This expansive multipurpose room will serve as an exercise facility for indoor-training days and will feature abundant space for ergs, weight equipment, and floor-mat work. Its long wall of glass-paneled doors will let in light even on the gloomiest Northwest days, while the open trusswork, with exposed wooden beams and cables, will reflect the beauty and art of the wooden boats used in the early days of rowing. The great room, which will open onto a sizable deck, will serve as a venue for team meetings and social events.

Also on the second floor will be staff offices, a coaches’ office, a meeting room with kitchenette, storage rooms, and locker room facilities that will include lockers, bathrooms, and showers. The meeting room will be available after school hours as a homework room, for juniors who arrive early or stay late after practice.

Launch storage

Once construction is complete on the new boathouse, the old boathouse will be torn down. The concrete pad will be left intact and will be fenced to provide secure storage for launches and for a fuel tank. Pop-up boat covers will provide protection for the launches, as well as for any shells which may need to be stored outdoors.

Architects

ARC Architects, a Seattle-based firm founded in 1976, designed SRA’s new boathouse. For information on the firm and to see photographs of their other design work, go to http://arcarchitects.com

Why build a new boathouse?

In just 15 years, Sammamish Rowing Association has grown from a group of 30 rowers operating out of an abandoned boatshed to a team of more than 300 rowers dreaming of a permanent home.

SRA’s current boathouse is antiquated and undersized. It lacks sufficient space to house all of the association’s equipment, so many boats are stored outdoors. To maximize space for rowers and boats, offices have been kept off-site, separating SRA’s director and staff from its people and activities. The facility has no running water, no bathrooms or showers, and minimal electrical service. The roof leaks, and the occasional rodent has been seen wandering the facility.

Despite the limitations of SRA’s current boathouse, rowers keep coming to Sammamish, and SRA is eager to welcome more. SRA is committed to meeting the growing demand for rowing on the Eastside and to providing an environment which supports and guides rowers. Because of cramped facilities, however, the organization has outgrown its current space and has had to limit the growth of new programs. A new boathouse will enable SRA to keep the sport of rowing alive and flourishing on the Eastside.

Paying for the project

Sammamish Rowing Association’s new boathouse is projected to cost $3 million. SRA has already raised almost $1.25 million. About half of that amount has been spent on design and permitting. Building on a protected wetland made for a challenging building site and a lengthy permitting process which required architects, civil engineers, geologists, wetland biologists, surveyors and a variety of other professional services.

New Boathouse Financial Summary 1/1/2003-8/10/2010

The early financial support of SRA rowers, parents and friends, in addition to a major grant through King County’s Community Partnerships and Grants Program, was critical to getting the project to the point that construction is finally underway. To raise the remaining funds, SRA is undertaking a capital campaign, which will seek support from the immediate Sammamish Rowing Association community as well as the broader community at large.

Capital campaign

Sammamish Rowing Association is preparing to launch a capital campaign to fund construction of the new boathouse. SRA hopes to fund construction entirely through the capital campaign so that operating revenues can continue to fund programs and growth. Details of the campaign will be posted on this site. In the meanwhile, track our fund-raising progress here.

Impact on the wetlands

The new boathouse will not disturb any of the wetlands in the area. It is being built completely within a wetland buffer, a natural area that protects wetlands. In addition, SRA is doing significant mitigation work as part of the construction project. Mitigation will involve efforts to protect, restore and enhance the wetlands. For more information about the mitigation efforts, click here.

We need you!

As we launch into this next phase to build our community boathouse, we need everyone’s help. Click here to find out where you can use your talents to make this boathouse a reality.