The hum of machines and children’s laughter fill the spacious area that tall ceilings and crafty interior design create walking into the Sammamish Community and Aquatic Center/YMCA.
Families are everywhere.
To the left, down the hallway toward the “Kids Corner” and “Adventure Zone,” little Jacob Lund, 2, looks out the second-floor window at the first-floor leisure pool where toddlers and their parents splash around. Nearby, Lund’s mom talks with a friend.
To the right, adults raise their heartbeats on ellipticals and treadmills.
Just about everyone and their neighbor have come out to give the $33 million facility a go since it opened to legacy and new charter members in mid-April.
“It’s nice to have something so close and family-friendly,” said Nikki Balt while she and her neighbor used the elliptical during a soft opening April 19. “My kids are so excited to come use that pool.”
They both remarked on the spacious facility and good lighting.
“The use of the windows in this building is spectacular,” Councilmember Bob Keller said at a March council meeting. “Almost anywhere where there’s a large common area, it feels like you’re outside.”
Large windows line the exterior overlooking the Lower Commons and westward toward Seattle.
“I love it. It’s beautiful,” Balt’s neighbor Rachel Sridman said. “This is an upgrade to any gym I’ve been to.”
A common fear Balt and Sridman share with many others is overcrowding, but so far the facility has withstood initial crowds, families on tours, out-of-the-area spectators and the April 30 grand opening.
“It’s so beautiful,” said Danny Zhu while watching his 7-year-old play the classic Y game, “Gaga Ball,” during the grand opening. “They should have built it earlier.”
While design work on the some 60,000-square-foot facility dates back to 2013, creating a community center has been on the city’s to-do list practically since its incorporation.
The city confirmed its partnership with the YMCA to run the facility in mid-2012, something Bob Gilbertson, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, said was a “smart” decision on behalf of the city and its council.
“We can do it better together,” he said during his speech at the grand opening, where Sammamish Mayor Don Gerend gave him the “key” to the city.
At least 10,000 individuals have signed up with the Sammamish Y, Executive Director Dave Mayer told the Sammamish City Council in March.
The community center features the cardio area, a community kitchen, children’s play rooms, two gyms, several fitness rooms, a track, public and private locker rooms with showers, a hot tub, a lap pool and the leisure pool.
During the soft opening in April, Kallie Veeneman watched her daughters play in the pool with their father.
“We’ve been waiting for it [to open],” she said. “It’s really nice.”
There’s also a yellow slide that juts outside the building before it finally winds down and empties onto the first floor near the pool.
Those who are at least 4 feet tall can use the slide. There are stairs on the southern wall of the pool area. The weight limit for the slide is 300 pounds.
There are 185 parking stalls in front of the building and more than 100 more in the west and southern parking areas.
Accessible pathways link the building to the Sammamish Commons Plaza and the Lower Commons.
Each locker area has 400 full-sized lockers and locker rooms include showers, toilets, sinks and mirrors. The private changing rooms also include a shower, sink and toilet. There are 22 lockers in the private changing area.
From private trianers to group fitness, activities at the Y last all day.
Residents, such as Liz Broenneke, AJ Hender and Agnes Lui, started taking advantage of these courses in mid-April.
The three women participated in a boot camp, circuit training session Y trainer Holly Fosmark led on the second floor platform that overlooks the gym April 19.
For more information on programs, visit www.blog.sammamishymca.org/schedules/.
The total project cost will likely be about $1 million less than expected, Parks and Recreation Director Jessi Bon said during an update to the council in March. The Sammamish City Council authorized the use of 6.1 percent contingency funds March 22.
Construction began in June 2014.
Watch a time-lapse of construction from August 2014 to September 2015 here. Watch a time-lapse of the leisure pool construction from March 2015 to July 2015 here.
