Sammamish Rowing Association Close to Goal Of New Boathouse

Almost a decade ago, members of the Sammamish Rowing Association made preliminary plans to construct a new boathouse.

Now, after seven years spent acquiring the necessary permits, a fundraising campaign that’s raised $1.3 million since 2005 and the completion of a turn lane on West Lake Sammamish Parkway just last week, the project is close to becoming a reality.

“Everyone is so ready for the facility to be built,” said Marcy Chartier, executive director of the association. “This really is seen as a necessary next step to keep the program operating.”

The new 12,000-square-foot boathouse will replace the current incarnation, where all available space is occupied, there’s no running water and roof leaks are being kept at bay by tarps.

Based on the Sammamish River at , the Sammamish Rowing Association's mission is to promote the sport as the only rowing organization on the Eastside. Its youth and adult programs draw rowers from all over the Eastside -- Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Sammamish and elsewhere.

When Chartier joined the rowing association in high school, the current building was more than adequate — “I remember moving in and thinking, This is awesome. There’s a ton of space,” she said — but as the organization has grown, so have its needs. When Chartier was a high school student, there were about 20 kids in the program; now, there are 162 in the junior program and up to 125 adults that row during peak season, she said.

The boathouse’s final permit for construction was secured last June, and the fall was spent laying the foundation, running utilities from the road ¼ mile down to the site and mitigating changes to the ecosystem, much of which is wetlands.

The latest step involved installing a turn lane on the increasingly busy West Lake Sammamish Parkway to increase ease of access. That task was supposed to be completed early in the year, but it required four straight days of no rain and temperatures above 45 degrees — a combination that didn’t occur until this month.

“We’re really having to do the project in steps like that,” Chartier said. “Luckily, the project lends itself to that.”

Another $1.2 million is needed to complete the building, which the association plans to raise through a combination of community donations, government grants and corporate sponsorships. The site is prepped and is just waiting for the steel building to be manufactured and delivered, a process they hope to finish by next year, Chartier said.

When it’s finished, the new boathouse will feature three bays for storing boats, private boat storage and an upstairs area with meeting rooms and offices.

“(It will have) a lot of glass, so that it’s nice and light inside,” Chartier said.

The new building is part of the association’s goal to be accessible and open to everyone, she said. The organization offers a variety of adult and youth classes, and no prior experience is required.

“It’s never too late to start,” Chartier said.

For more information, you can call the Rowing Association at 425-653-2583.