The new Kent YMCA located at 10828 SE 248th Street recently opened. The two-story 50,000 square-foot, LEED Silver facility offers an aquatic center, gym, three group fitness rooms, a cardio and free-weight fitness floor, child watch and adventure zone areas, kitchen facility and related staff and administrative areas. It also brings an expansion of school-aged childcare and enrichment programs for children and teens.

The surrounding eight-acre site was developed in collaboration with the City of Kent into a multi-use park with a sports court, dog park and outdoor community gathering area.

“Opening a new Y in Kent is a historic occasion for the City of Kent, the Y, and the community. The Kent Y is a gathering place where all people from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and birth places are welcomed and belong. The Y‘s mission is to enable all people, especially youth, to realize their full potential in mind, body, and spirit. We are excited to bring this mission to life in the Kent community.” said Loria Yeadon, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Seattle.

Part of the project included improvements to the SE 248th Street frontage road, with major relocation of overhead power and telecommunication systems to underground. In addition, the building, park and off-site improvement work was completed within a 13-month construction schedule.

An interesting aspect of the project is that the natatorium roof is a 100-foot clear-span structure consisting of three large glue-laminated main support beams. The eight-foot tall by 100-foot long Alaska yellow cedar beams were trucked in one piece from the fabrication plant in Penticton, British Columbia.