Youth homeless shelter opens in Auburn

YMCA of Greater Seattle on Tuesday held a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony for its Arcadia youth homeless center at 932 Auburn Way S. in Auburn.

The Y says Arcadia is the first housing and shelter program in south King County that has wraparound services for youths and young adults up to 24 years old who are homeless.

The 7,900-square-foot wood-frame center was built by Abbott Construction under a $3.3 million contract. It has a 15-bed transitional home consisting of five three-bedroom apartments, a 12-bed emergency shelter, and a drop-in youth center with kitchen, laundry and showers. There also are administration offices.

Site development included demolition of an existing 1,200-square-foot structure, new parking stalls, repaving an alley, new fire access lane, site infiltration landscape and sidewalks.

This project was completed under Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards for new construction, including comprehensive documentation of all materials, methods, waste stream paths, energy compliance and commissioning methods.

Sage Architectural Alliance designed the project with landscaping using over 50% native plants and low-flow irrigation. More than 90% of hard surface water runoff is treated on site and over 96% of stormwater is retained on site. The center also has water-conserving plumbing fixtures, Energy Star appliances, LED lighting and accommodations for future rooftop solar panels.

Sage’s website says, “Arcadia House responds to the changing community needs of the most vulnerable through mental health counseling, drug and alcohol treatment, licensed childcare, and shelter and support for homeless youth. The goal is to create a high-impact, sustainable organization with committed, caring staff who lift up at-risk youth and set them on a path to self-sufficiency.”

Arcadia is anticipated to serve over 100 young adults in housing alone.

The project was developed by the Y and is operated by Nexus Youth and Families, a nonprofit organization that has provided youth homelessness and behavioral health services in Auburn and south King County for over 45 years. Last fall, the Y voted to acquire Nexus.

Avalon Project Management and Consulting served as the owner’s representative.

Here’s the rest of the project team: Swenson Say Faget (structural engineer), Coterra Engineering (civil), Tres West (MEP design and third-party review for design-build MEP subs), Geotech Consultants (geotechnical study and site conditions review), Cornell Plumbing (design-build plumbing), Smith Fire Protection (design-build fire sprinkler), Emerald Aire (design-build HVAC), Custom Electrical (design-build electrical), Meridian Security & Electrical (design-build fire alarm), Archer Construction (earthwork and underground utilities), Pacific Concrete Construction (structural concrete), Superior Structures (structure framing) and Nick’s Construction (building envelope).