The YMCA recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for an $8 million remodel and expansion of the West Seattle branch at 4515 36th Ave. S.W.
Crews started with demolition of the Youth Programs Center, a separate building on the same block. Before an excavator tore apart the building, Second Use came in to salvage doors, windows, fixtures, piping and other materials.
Concrete and rebar from demolition is being recycled and reused.
When finished later this year, about a third of the 40,000-square-foot YMCA will be new or substantially renovated, including an 8,400-square-foot addition with a heavy timber and CMU structure, windows onto the street and daylight in fitness areas.
A new entrance will face Southwest Snoqualmie Street, which is being designated as a “festival street” that can be closed to cars for special events.
There also will be a new community meeting room with a kitchen for cooking classes and free demonstrations. Other improvements are planned for the HVAC system.
Lease Crutcher Lewis is the general contractor and Miller Hayashi Architects is the designer. Avalon Project Management and Consulting is the owner’s representative.
The design team is: Sitewise Design, civil; Swenson Say Faget, structural; Sider + Byers, mechanical; Travis, Fitzmaurice & Associates, electrical; and Karen Kiest Landscape Architects.
Key subcontractors are: Fire Sprinklers Inc., H&M Electric, Mission Glass, Pinchiff Mechanical, Sessler Inc. (framing and wallboard), Snyder Roofing of Washington and Titan Earthwork (site work and utilities).
Funding comes from an $8 million capital campaign, with at least $4 million to be raised in the West Seattle community and the remaining funds provided by YMCA of Greater Seattle. Local volunteers have raised $3.7 million so far.
The expanded West Seattle Y is expected to serve 3,500 more people a year, for a total of 23,000.
Work will be done in phases so that most of the Y can remain open during construction.
IMAGE CREDITS
Miller Hayashi Architects