Boys & Girls Club expansion moving forward

Plans are moving forward to expand the Ballard Boys and Girls Club. Today, the Land Use Information Bulletin was released from the Department of Planning and Development for the project.

The application is to “allow a 5,400 sq. ft. addition to an existing community center (Boys & Girls Club of Ballard). Parking for 52 vehicles (23 on site and 29 off site). Project also includes grading for 352 cubic yards of material.” Mark Hendricks the executive director of the club sent us the above drawing of the expansion, which is in orange.

Last October when we first reported on the proposed expansion, Hendricks took us on a tour of the facility. The club currently has split classrooms. Kindergarten and 1st graders in one room, 2nd and 3rd graders in another room, etc. The proposed remodel will double their current size and allow them to put each grade in its own room. Hendricks hopes construction will begin in September or October with a completion date sometime next spring.

Hendricks tells us they are still raising money, “We have 1.65 million committed or in the bank and need to raise an additional $350,000 by September.” He says they need to go through the necessary permitting steps while continuing to raise the additional funds needed. “As we are part of Boys and Girls Clubs of King County we are required to have 100% of our funding in place before we start construction,” Hendricks tells us, “This can be cash in the bank and or solid pledges to be paid over a period of years. Then we as an organization arrange for the financing until the pledges come in to pay off the loan.”

There will be a neighborhood meeting on Monday evening February 15th at 6:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club (1767 NW 64th St) to get community input about the expansion project.